Gamindustri Clash: The Four Outsiders
by Hewhoimagines
Summary: Peace was in Gamindustri, when all of a sudden, people from the real world appear out of nowhere! With a mystery along with a chance to save a friend, the All-Stars come back together with the rest of Gamindustri to save all that is gaming. (This is collab with Nkirby, and serves as a continuation of Nkirby's All-Stars stories.)
1. Chapter 1

**GAMINDUSTRI CLASH: THE FOUR OUTSIDERS**

 **PROLOGUE**

Gamindustri, a land of four nations…

Lowee, representing Nintendo. The white, snowy nation of colorful characters. The famous Mario, Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, and Kirby series were present.

Lastation, representing Sony. Black and beautiful, filled with pride and advanced technology. Series such as God of War, LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet & Clank, and even Crash Bandicoot resided there.

Leanbox, representing Microsoft. Off on a more southern region, being beautifully green. Particularly known for Halo, Gears of War, known Rareware titles, and even some PC games.

Planeptune, representing SEGA. The promising, purple lands with a futuristic feeling. Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS, Puyo Puyo, and more obscure games were recognized there.

Smaller land masses, which once had been lost in history during Console Wars, were now restored thanks to an event that occurred a couple of years ago. One where an antagonistic CPU, used an old relic to bring back parts of the past, while sacrificing herself to another world.

Gamindustri was finally at peace, with the past threats being neutralized. Some say it had almost gotten boring, while others preferred the lack of incidents. Ups and downs still occurred, which was the closest thing to anything chaotic, currently.

However, such a peace, as always, did not last.

—

"Have you found what you were looking for yet here?" Lawrence asked.

He had hoped that after the last failure of creating an "age of robots" would end his master's ridiculous plots, but it seemed like as always, Nefarious wouldn't cease.

Currently, they were breaking into a lab in Planeptune. One they had heard about from a badnik, who formerly was under Dr. Eggman's order. They told Nefarious that there would be something of great use in his plans.

Something that bordered on the power of the CPUs themselves, but was put away in fear of being too strong, or perhaps it simply wasn't the right time for Dr. Eggman.

It ticked off Scervo of course, a pirate captain, partner in crime to Dr. Nefarious from Lowee, being made several years ago. If anyone hated the idea of someone being cut off from the rest of the world just because of their strength, it was him.

Finished hacking into a system, Dr. Nefarious grinned when he saw a metal capsule open up.

A robot was inside. Having lilac, artificial skin, silver hair, wearing a red sailor dress. Nefarious had found what he was looking for.

"So it exists after all," he laughed, "a CPU… For robots!"

He couldn't lose this one. Not like before. Nefarious was going to make sure, his plan ended with success.

" _LAWREEEEENCE!"_ Nefarious shouted.

"I'm right here, sir." The butler replied, making his master jump.

"You know what to do, help me take her back to the ship! In, one, piece!" He ordered Lawrence, pointing at the robot. "Project Mercury is in our hands, and we shall make them follow our cause, soon enough!"

Making sure there we no security devices attached to deactivated robot, that's exactly what they did.

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 **Pull to the Dimension**

Four friends, of the less fictitious world, on their way back from a trip to the movies.

Michael, a boy who favors Nintendo titles and consoles, defending even titles that would be considered "bad" by Nintendo standards.

Nick, a fan of Sony's PlayStation systems, believing that they have the most well-rounded genres.

Caela, adores Microsoft's Xbox consoles, wishing there was a handheld and liking even the weirder titles.

And Natalie, the oldest who holds a nostalgic soft-spot for SEGA, and probably the one who acknowledges the ups and downs of every side.

Right now, they were discussing how the Assassin's Creed movie may turn out. Michael and Natalie showed zero interest, Nick wished to see it, and Caela enjoyed the actual games, worrying it wouldn't be as good as the first and second Assassin Creed titles.

"Hey, it could be good. There has been some improvements in video game movies."

"You mean like the Ratchet and Clank movie? That was disappointing to most?" Nick turned to glare at Michael, who was currently sporting a smug grin.

"At least it was faithful to the source material, unlike some other movies I know."

"Don't you dare-"

"Super Mario Bros. The Movie. Now that's a bad video game film. And not accounting the movie, I still can't believe how everyone isn't bored and/or sick of them already! I mean, it's a franchise with over 200 games! How does that not sound completely nuts!"

"If that's the case, then obviously they're doing something right, if they can still keep the crowd interested. Unlike other series that end when something's lacking or goes wrong. I mean, when was the last time you heard of PaRappa or Sir Dan?"

Nick looked like he was ready to fight when Caela stepped between them. "How about we get back to the topic at hand, OK? If the movie gets good reviews, it might get people to take video games more seriously and do good for all of our favorite systems."

"Yeah, you definitely need the attention, seeing how the Xbox One is selling worse than the Wii U. And what kind of a name is that anyway? Sounds like a warning siren. Like 'wee-oo, wee-oo, lower-class console coming!'"

Michael was so furious he barely noticed he had Nick by the collar. "Just because the PS4 has sold more doesn't mean it's the best quality!" Caela was doing her best to separate the two with no avail. But just before it escalated to fists -

" **STOP IT!"**

They all jumped at the sudden cry, turning to see Natalie, as if they forgot that she there. "Why must every conversation we have turn to this? Only at times like this am I a little glad that SEGA no longer has any consoles so that they are spared from all this."

"I guess that would be true, Squirt, if it wasn't for that fact that SEGA is exactly 'dead'. Like, Sonic's still coming out with games, though they've just been getting worse and worse." Natalie cringed from Nick's nickname for her. Even though she was the oldest, she was still treated like a kid because she was also the shortest at 5' 4". It didn't help that he also mentioned Soinc's plummet in quality.

"Woah, woah, woah, that doesn't mean that Sonic no longer stars in good games. There are still well-received games that he stars in." Natalie would have welcomed Michael's support if she didn't know where it would lead.

"You mean like Super Smash Bros.? The game that's responsible for Playstation All-Stars not getting the respect it deserves?"

"At least Smash has a good combat system."

"You mean where kills can be cheap and you die just by tripping? In Battle Royale you actually earn your kills than leave it up to chance."

"What do you mean chance? You fight your opponent fair and square!"

"Until a Smash Ball comes in and changes the tide. In all other Fighters I can think of, the super or hyper move is earned from successful hits. Something that's apparently overlooked."

Nick then looked like he remembered something. "I just realized, it's the anniversary of Playstation All-Stars. Who knew it's been four years already."

"Then maybe it's time for Xbox to also put in its two bits in the mascot crossover."

Nick and Michael just looked at Caela and responded in unison: "With what?"

"Oh you know what!"

"No, not really. Other than Master Chief and Marco Fenix, I got nothing. Oh, maybe you can also include Cooper, Banjo and Kazooie, Conker-"

Caela started to look scared, as Michael started to look mad. He hated Microsoft for what they did to Rare, and took every chance to remind Caela of it. Caela acted fast to avoid the potential explosion.

"There are plenty of Xbox mascots that have come throughout the years! What about Captain Smiley, or Stubbs the Zombie?"

"You would have a better chance bringing in Voodoo Vince or Blinx. Of course, you could always consider the Pinatas..."

Natalie started to leave before Michael went to another one of his somewhat justified rants. She was beginning to wonder they were all friends in the first place. She took a few steps when something caught her eye. She turned to see some light coming out of an alleyway. A familiar light.

"Hey guys, I saw some of that light I was telling you about!"

They turned to where she was pointing. "You mean that light you think brought that lady with amnesia a while back? Next you'll be saying that you saw Elvis." Nick gave a bit of a smirk at Michael's comment.

"Well, it is cute when the imagination goes wild."

Caela wasn't helping either. "They have a point, that kind of stuff only happens in, well, games and the like. It's obvious that she was just a tourist or something that hit her head."

Natalie had it with their putting-down. "The light is real and I'll prove it. Come on!" She started to walk down the alleyway. Nick started to follow just to humor her, but the others thought it was something else and decided to come to tease him. They were nearing the end without so much as a shine happening.

"See? There's no light. Just more tricks of the eye. Let's just call it a night." Nick started to turn around when he heard a yelp and saw Michael and Caela with shock on their faces. He turned back to see a bright white light appearing out of nowhere, and looking like something was about to blow. "Natalie, look out!" He started to reach for her when the light blasted the area, blinding everyone. Nick was only aware of one concerning thing.

"Where's the groo _ooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnddd!?"_

—

Lastation, home to Noire during her work, along with the PlayStation All-Stars.

Things have been at quite a swing. A new Gravity Rush and God of War title was coming. But after their movie coming out, Ratchet and Clank found they had not had gotten as much warm reception in theater compared to the actual game released based on it. This caused worry for Sly Cooper, a thieving raccoon. Initially, he was going to have one as well.

Everyone else was… Bored.

Quite a handful had not had a proper title in years. Including Sir Daniel Fortesque, but he was entertained for the most part, until the interview with that one therapist ended. Now, he began to miss his All-Star rival, Colonel Radec.

He had ran off with a girl; Pupuru, along with her companioned called Kuu. She arrived over three years ago, and had— much to the shock of everyone— fallen for the merciless Helghast. Over the years, Radec had grown attached to her, even though it went against his usual character.

Along with that was the fact Heihachi, Nariko, Emmett Graves, and Isaac Clarke left. Even others, who were originally newcomers…

They almost were at the top of the hill in terms of shares, until a few mistakes, and Lowee pulling out their "safety net", forcing them to gain a huge boost.

Noire missed everyone that had parted ways, but didn't have the gall to admit to it. Her younger sister wondered how hard it would be for Noire to just finally open up. If she did that, it would surely bring a whole lot of others back to Lastation.

Uni rubbed her temples, finished with work for today. "I wonder if Falli and Edward finished their half of the job," she wondered, walking out of the room with a stack of papers.

A black glimmer formed in outside the basilicom, one which soon, would become a new source of action and entertainment.

—

Lowee, where Blanc was reading a book, as the Super Smash Bros. played.

Her two younger sisters, Rom and Ram, were hectic as always with Crazy Hand. Master Hand, along with the oracle, Mina Nishizawa, tried their best to keep the three of them out of trouble. Of course, it was hard when someone Crazy Hand always encouraged it.

This year, things had gone up and down, ever since the Super Smash Bros. had stopped updating once their final newcomers— Corrin and Bayonetta— arrived suddenly.

Both the new Fire Emblem and Star Fox titles had gotten them in a bit of a rut. The former suffered from hefty censorship, while the latter sold poorly and did not get the reception as expected. The new, upcoming Paper Mario title had caused quite a loss in shares as well.

Such changed with Kirby's new adventure coming to light, being warmly received as always. Pokémon was a "safety net" to competition, so it was easy to see how a phone app had nabbed so much attention, along with the new generation that would bloom.

Because of this, Lowee now toppled Lastation in terms of shares. However… Fox McCloud was still unhappy over what had happened. The Hero of Twilight version of Link, was curious to see what the new hero would be like.

For a while, Blanc's stress was like a light switch. On and off, depending on how the shares were. To distract herself, she began to read. It was what she liked to do, and it gave Blanc ideas usually for the story in her games.

This often ranged from excellent tales… To shoddy soap opera drama.

A book was thrown at Blanc's head, forcing her to snap her attention to the twins.

"Crazy Hand did it!" Ram tattled, forcing the large, gloved hand to float away from the scene as quick as he could. Getting out of her chair, Blanc chased after them in annoyance, mumbling curses under her breath.

Just as she did, a white light began to form outside, taking shape of a boy.

—

Leanbox, there was Vert, playing video games while everyone else was calm.

Out of all the nations, Leanbox was usually the least hectic. They were balanced with the shares right now, with all of what was presented during an event. Killer Instinct updates, were also creating a lot of hype for fans.

Sometimes there were a few bumps, but they did not sting as badly as the ones in other nations. Leanbox was a balance, one could say, that was needed in Gamindustri, after how crazy Console Wars used to be.

Sure, the ever popular Master Chief, Marcus Feenix, and Rareware characters were present. But Leanbox was no stranger to obscure things, such as the Gunstringer, Voodoo Vince, and Blinx. On top of that, Microsoft Windows also came from Leanbox, which lead to even more unusual connections.

It seemed almost ideal. Vert was comfortable. She had a loyal oracle, characters— which while maybe not memorable— she didn't mistreat or berate, Kinect wasn't good, but it was nowhere near as bad as the gimmicks Blanc tried to enforce.

Vert herself was a pleasant CPU. She did spend a lot of time online, played lots of games, and watched anime. However, when work was there, she did put it before anything else.

The only thing she felt was missing in her life? A sibling. Either a younger sister, or brother. Every CPU in Gamindustri had one— well, almost all of them.

"Goodness, can't she pick up after herself?" Chika Hakozaki, oracle of Leanbox sighed, picking up an empty bottle of Mountain Dew.

Soon after, she left. A passing Splosion Man noticed a green light now outside the basilicom…

—

Planeptune, where Neptune had suddenly made a comeback after past issues.

Two Sonic titles that were recently released had gotten warm reception. New Puyo Puyo, Yakuza, and Shenmue titles were on their way. Sonic Mania had caused an amount of hype, as was the other upcoming game.

All of this, balanced while taking care of a child. It had only been two years since the first recorded birth from a CPU happened. No mishaps have occurred, other than some surprising, early maturity on the first year.

Sure, not all of Planeptune's characters got the spotlight, but they didn't entirely mind. Quality was what mattered most right now, and suddenly, Neptune had been kicking it up.

Right now actually, Neptune might have had more share energy than Blanc, considering the surprising amount of faith people now had in her. Some were often afraid of her husband though, even if his old habits were dropped.

Planeptune was happy as ever right now, even Histoire didn't have objections like she normally would, because Neptune was working hard— but not pushing herself by any means.

NiGHTS, minding their own business, offered to go grab something from Neptune's room and bring it to the CPU. As they did, they noticed a purple light, right outside.

A light, which turned into a girl, much to the shock of NiGHTS.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

 **An Unnatural Welcome**

When he started to come to, Nick was getting a strange kind of feeling. Not like he was in an unfamiliar location, but more like something was out of sync with him and his surroundings. But the voices he was hearing were ringing some bells in a weird way.

One sounded arrogant, one sounded sinister yet gleeful, another sounded like it was missing a mouth to speak with. He opened his eyes to see a building a few feet away from him. It looked like it was a place of worship.

Then he turned to see a one-eyed skeleton looking right back at him.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

His hand swung forward on reflex, and to his shock, it passed right through the skull. "Oh my God, oh my God. Am I dead?!… No, I still got a pulse, and I'm breathing, but what is going on?!" As he put his hands on his face to calm himself down, the ones standing nearby were trying to make sense of what was happening.

"He just tried to hit Dan! He's got to be an enemy! Well, buddy you just picked the wrong target today! Hyaaah!"

Nick turned to see an orange foot about to connect to his face, but before he could duck, the foot went to his face, then right through his face, along with the body it was connected to.

The moment was followed by a loud clang. Nick turned to see that his would-be attacker collided with metal armor and was now hopping on one foot in obvious pain. But what was more obvious was who the attacker was, but before Nick could say anything, his attention was pulled by sinister laughter and turned to see a clown with his head on fire.

"You, you…" He started spinning around rapidly to take in his surroundings, one part was all-too familiar truck to him. "The Sweet Tooth truck from Twisted Metal! That's too cool!" He ran toward it without thinking and was about to examine the guns on the side, but when he tried to touch them, his hand just passed through. "What?!" Being a little calmer, he started to examine the strange phenomenon. When his hand passed through the truck, it seemed to take on a black aura, in the shapes of a triangle, square, circle, and x, swirling around like digital code.

"Hey! What are you doing to my truck?!" Nick turned to see a machete swinging at him. Even it passed through, it was still scary. "I'm sorry Mr. Kane, I got excited while trying to figure out what's happened to me? Just where am I? And how can I be talking to a video game character?"

Sir Dan walked up to him. "Perhaps we can discuss this with Noire and try to make some sense of this."

They were walking to in the Basilicom to Noire's office when Nick felt a little weird. So much he didn't notice where he was going. "OW!" He looked at the table he walked into when he realized something. "Wait, how could I touch that? What is this place?"

Sir Dan answered his question. "This is Lastation's Basilicom, where the CPU Noire does business concerning Playstation. It's also where people can go to worship her."

Nick thought for a moment, putting two and two together. "Maybe that's it. This building is like the heart of everything Playstation, and it's where everything gets done, so it must have more of a connection to the outside world where I'm from then anywhere else. So that's why I felt a little different. I'm more solid at the moment."

"You don't say?" Sir Dan quickly grabbed Nick's hand and led him to Noire's office and as far away from Sweet Tooth as possible. It wasn't as easy when he started giving chase. "You won't get away with touching my truck so easily!"

Somehow they lost Sweet Tooth had made to Noire's office, where she was in the middle of a conference call with the other CPUs. "What is this supposed to mean… what are you doing? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Uh, hi, I'm Nick, huge fan of Playstation, and you might not believe this, but I'm not from this world."

Noire just looked at him. "I think you might want to join in." He walked to the screen to see three girls he never saw before, as well as three faces he knew all too well.

"Hey Nick! I'm in someplace called Lowee, the home of Nintendo!"

"I'm in Leanbox, home of Xbox!"

"And I'm in Planeptune, home of SEGA!"

"SEGA still has a home?"

"HEY!"

"Allow me to explain," the blonde woman on the screen spoke. "My name is Vert. I am CPU of Leanbox. It seems that all four of us had quite the unexpected company. Ladies, why don't you introduce yourselves?"

Sighing and putting her book down near Michael, the shorter girl, with light-brown hair looking at the screen. "Blanc, CPU of Lowee." She didn't have much to say it seemed, which was good enough for Noire to cut her off.

"I'm guessing you already know, I'm Lastation's CPU, Noire." She shook Nick's hand, smirking in a prideful manner.

"So, she's Neptune, right?" Nick pointed at the lilac-haired girl wearing a hoodie.

Surprised to hear him reveal her identity, Neptune puffed up her cheeks. "Hey now, I was gonna do a funny, fourth wall breaking introduction that left an impression on everyone here!" She complained.

Now, Nick had heard of the Hyperdimension series, but kinda brushed them off, only really playing Noire's spin-off title. Natalie was only aware of the crossover involving SEGA Hard Girls, an anime based off of SEGA consoles.

As expected, this meant Michael and Caela had no idea who the CPUs were. If anything, Michael accidentally thought Blanc was an obscure Fire Emblem character when he first saw her, due to how she was dressed.

"You all came from another world, as that young man just mentioned, if you weren't all aware by now. It's not an uncommon occurrence, for someone to come in and out of this dimension, but for the four of you to do it so suddenly…" Vert explained, "I might have to question the youkai of boundaries about this.

"Oh, and somewhat related," Vert then grinned, "you know with those new games coming to the PS4, Noire, you should be getting visitors. Doesn't your clown get along with them?"

Nick didn't understand what that meant, while Noire rolled her eyes. "The one in particular is already, waiting for him to show up."

That was when the door violently swung open. "There you are," Sweet Tooth chuckled, "laying your hands on my truck, huh? Well, I'm gonna make sure those hands aren't used again!"

Before either Nick or Sir Dan could object, Sweet Tooth was suddenly tackled across the room.

"Big brother!" A young-looking girl, having blonde hair in a side ponytail, and strangely colorful wings cheered.

Noire's expression didn't change, as if she expected this, unlike everyone else sans Vert. "Yeah, some of them are here. Back on topic, Vert, you should go find them then!"

As such, the rest of the conversation carried on like normal, besides Cole having to show up to pry Flandre, the excited vampiric girl, off of Sweet Tooth.

Nick was almost inclined to help. Sure, Sweet Tooth was mad at him, but he had no idea who this other girl was, and why she was bothering the clown he knew to be a merciless killer. "OK, while he's distracted, how about we try to figure out what exactly happened? We were just walking home, there was a bright light, then we're here. Any ideas?"

Cole stopped for a second at his description. "A bright light… could it be like a portal?"

"Could be." Natalie said. "There was a similar event that happened in our world. There was a bright light that lit up in town, then a lady with amnesia came out of nowhere. She could be related."

"That could be Bleu!" Neptune chimed in.

"Who?"

"The CPU of Deeyo," Noire explained "she was thought lost when she went through a portal matching your description to fix multiple problems and situations in Gamindustri."

"But if Bleu is the woman you mentioned, then she's still alive! And we can be able to bring her back!"

"How? We don't even know how we got here." Michael pointed out to them.

Vert interrupted everyone's train of thought. "Um, everyone, I just reports of strange energy spikes happening across Leanbox, causing multiple phenomenons to happen. One of which… oh dear."

"What? What is it already?" Said Blanc, clearly losing her patience.

"It appears, somehow, Madotsuki is back." Some turned white from that.

"Madotsuki from Yume Nikki?! But she killed herself at the end of her game!" Nick just looked at Caela.

"How do you know of such a disturbing game?"

"It's Microsoft, what'd you expect?" Michael said.

"Hey! I actually saw Banjo and Kazooie and they're doing fine!" Caela huffed.

"It's probably just a brave face for their broken spirits!"

"Stop. We can argue later. Right now, we need to get together so we can fully understand what is going on and how we get back. Where's a place we can all meet?" Natalie said.

"It strange seeing such a serious supporter for Neptune." Vert smiled, almost teasingly.

"Be quiet, Vert." Blanc mumbled.

"Still, Squirt has a point." Nick grinned. "Let's set up a meeting spot so we can figure this out, and hope nothing bad rears its ugly head."

"Squirt?!" Neptune yelled.

"Don't start, Neptune. Please." Noire wasn't going to let anymore pointless banter happen at this rate. In hindsight though, the way these four friends argued, reminded them much of the CPUs themselves.

"I just have one question," Michael began, "all of you represent consoles and their companies, right? Blanc is Nintendo, Noire is Sony, Vert is Microsoft, and Neptune is SEGA… right?" He then looked over at all of them, who nodded in response. "Okay, so… who is Bleu?"

There was a moment of silence, as this was always a difficult topic to bring up. Mainly out of guilt. "Panasonic and the 3DO Company," Neptune finally answered, being more comfortable talking about it than the others. "Y'know, where Gex initially came from?"

"Wait, he wasn't a Playstation…" Nick stopped himself, feeling almost like a dolt for being unaware of the gecko's history. Noire looked increasingly upset he noticed too.

For Natalie, this opened up a door of several possibilities, with there being hidden CPUs. She was inclined to ask about NeoGeo consoles, but it was clear no one wanted to talk about it. "It's all a long story, and some of us prefer not to dwell on the past. We don't want to move too fast for any of you."

"Let's meet up in Planeptune!" Neptune suggested, trying to remain as optimistic as ever. "I can't really leave the kiddo behind today anyhow, Grimmy is out right now and all…"

"Kid?" Natalie was rather stunned, not expecting to hear that from the CPU of Planeptune. The other three outsiders were just as confused by that statement.

"Grimmy?" Nick raised an eyebrow, as if that name sounded familiar to him. Neptune couldn't help but become smug, realizing how bewildered a Sony fan like Nick would be once he saw… that, in person.

At least for the most part, they all had a game plan now. Noire asked Sir Dan and Cole to stay behind along with Sweet Tooth, who was now forced to babysit. Vert meanwhile, requested someone else investigate Madotsuki's return.

—

Sitting in a frozen domain, several figures muttered amongst themselves.

"When is that bloody mongrel going to show up?" A man with pointed ears grumbled, puffing a cigar.

"Patience," a drowsy woman replied, "no need to rush this sort of thing." Her voice was somewhat muffled by the sleeve she was napping in.

"With the hatred of those forgotten, and now remnants of that one artifact finally taking effect, what else is there to wait for, dammit?!" A more hostile character snapped, wearing a wizard outfit of some kind.

"Hey now, everyone chill!"

An angel character flew over towards them all. Wearing a torn, tan-colored gown, and having a dark blonde hair that was mostly swept to one side. Due to his short size, he almost looked like a young boy to some. "Get it? Chill? Because, we're in… Naw, forget it."

His wings were notably a pitch black color. Everyone just stared at him, as a robotic character hissed at him. "You're late, and yet, you are the one who decided to hold this meeting?!"

Rolling his eyes at the mechanical monstrosity, the angel sat down in a chair. "Calm your cables, listen, I had to check and really see if those idiots are all closed up in ice. I'm here now, bringing life to this dull party, so what's the big deal?"

"The plan, that's what." A man replied, having a large dome on his head, yet appearing to be two-dimensional. "Now that boundaries are weakened, it is best to act soon, is it not?"

Scratching his head, the angel smirked. "Sure, if you wanna be the one to go to Lowee and nab the ring for princess over there. Aww, I made that sound almost sweet!" The man flinched at the angel's mockery. "I'll stop the joke while I'm ahead. Anyway, we're gonna take each one of those monsters to each nation to make havoc— but only after our little underlings do their job!"

"And what of the spy you sent?" An anglerfish character asked.

"Blending in like a leech in muddy water, and just as ready to drain the power he needs." Taking out a crumpled piece of paper from his outfit, the angel read it aloud. "First order of action, is seeing how our little pawns turn out. Even if they fail, y'know, they make a good distraction for most of you guys to come in."

A tall, menacing man, surrounded by a blue aura stood up to speak. "By default, I am going to Planeptune. The rest of you, go to where you once originated… Except for the princess here, I suppose. I would rather you go to Leanbox."

The woman yawned in response. "You do not require my help?"

"No, because none of them would stand a chance against me. Especially when I'm not fooling around, like I normally would. Those who choose to cross me, will meet a fearsome demise." He chuckled at the images of disaster popping up into his mind.

"All of this over bein' bloody forgotten?" Putting out his cigar, the other man sighed at the group surrounding him. "I'm just doin' this because that twiggy wizard doesn't deserve to be running free out there, while I'm freezin' down 'ere!"

"Sounds more you fit in anyway, just in a different sense." The anglerfish laughed, as everyone soon began bickering with each other.

"The monster knight, the wolven, and the qilin." The angel began mumbling to himself, amused by everything going on. "How long will it take, with the power lent to them, I wonder?"


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 **We Meet Again**

Leanbox was filled with quite the oddities— possibly the most quirky ones, out of all of the nations.

Splosion Man, when finding Caela, announced— in a joking manner— that a younger sister finally spawned outside of the basilicom. Vert actually took it seriously, until Caela opened her eyes, seeing that they were brown, and not blue like hers.

It was almost disappointing, but it didn't stop Vert from being polite to her new visitor. She welcomed Caela inside either way. Master Chief had been very friendly to her, as did nearly everyone in Leanbox's basilicom.

Keyword being nearly. Kazooie was sassy as always, and Conker was getting drunk. But the shrine maiden of a particular Windows series, Reimu Hakurei, instantly assumed Caela was some kind of harmful youkai.

Stuff such as incidents always popping up was the reason that unlike the other handful of characters from her series, Reimu didn't migrate to Lastation simply over a new game. Plus, she had to keep a few other "youkai" in line.

With someone such as Vince, it was because of the obvious fact he was a sentient voodoo doll, capable of inflicting pain. But he was harmless entirely, and only did that to people who annoyed him. As such, Vince only got sarcastic with Reimu, not taking her threats seriously.

Stubbs, the zombie kills people, and converts them into part of his undead horde. Reimu's hostility towards him was definitely justified to most. Although, she can't do much to deal with a zombie like him, other than keep him in line by slapping some charms on Stubbs. Vert even suggested she do this from time to time, so he didn't cause any problems.

The Gunstringer, in Reimu's eyes, was a vengeful spirit in form of a skeletal puppet, due to him getting back at those who had done wrong to him when he was alive. Out of all of the characters Reimu antagonized, the Gunstringer was the most prone to snapping back at her, and they often clashed.

And this, was one of those times, as Vert requested that a handful of Leanbox's best go investigate Madotsuki's return. Of course those two had to band together, not helped by Vince, Blinx, and Glacius joining them.

"Listen," Reimu said, "all I'm saying is that this all leading to another incident, which as always, like right now, I'll have to clean up. I don't want that, because I prefer having Leanbox all nice, and relaxing—"

"Ya mean y'all were too lazy to join yer compadres in Lastation, and now try ta make yerself look like yer doin' somethin' of use." The Gunstringer spat.

"Can we not have this dispute here?" Glacius asked politely. "We should really focus on Madotsuki's resurrection. Afterwards, we'll also have our attention on Caela as well."

Glacius was right, and they knew it. No point in any further banter, as it would break out into a fight.

Especially pointless, when the girl they were looking for, was standing there. Sitting on the grass, curled up with her head resting on her knees. Her eyes appeared to be closed, brown hair in braids.

No doubt it was the Madotsuki they all knew. Not dead-looking in the slightest.

"Mado…"

Blinx reached out to her, as the girl slowly raised her head. Nothing to be said from her. No weak smile, that would depress anyone, as they could tell it was false. Just a blank expression, which was more common.

" _Trap."_

Glacius and the Gunstringer felt their senses snap when Madotsuki uttered those words.

" _ **Flower Sign: Entrapping Bloom!"**_

Several vines and flowers surrounded the group, entangling them. Before long, they were unable to escape. Glacius tried to pierce through it, and Vince attempted to see who was responsible, but it was near impossible

Trapped, and Madotsuki was the bait. Go figure.

"Ever since your adventure to that mansion, I was left behind." A girl's voice spoke, trying to sound menacing. "I've caught up, shrine maiden. I'm going to take back my spot now."

Reimu's anger was boiling up. She couldn't counter this like she normally would, since this wasn't the usual, harmless spellcard. "Who are you!?" Reimu snapped.

"No one important, to you that is." She replied, as the voice grew more distant. "Stay there, while I continue my quest to become the main character like my angel said!"

"Like that wha— wait, come back!" Blinx shouted.

"Ain't this dandy. We're all stuck here." The Gunstringer grumbled, sitting down. "Had we not brought that miko, and found Madotsuki ourselves… Anywho, guessin' y'all were resurrected, just ta lure us out?"

Pure silence came from Madotsuki. Perhaps guilt was flooding her, even though it wasn't really her fault that she was used.

"Hey," Vince spoke, "it's still good to see you again, kid. C'mon, how about that?"

There came the weak smile, eyes still closed along with it. Although, the smile felt slightly less fake than usual… For once, her dreamy vision was making things bright, by a small amount.

The most that could be hoped for now, was someone stumbling through Leanbox's forest found them, or Vert would realize that they weren't returning so soon.

—

Both the four CPUs, and outsiders gathered in Planeptune's basilicom.

Histoire, the oracle of Planeptune, a fairy-like entity of some sort sitting on top of a tome, was trying to do research on what had occurred. If anyone was familiar with others falling into dimensions, and even trying to connect to such places, it was her.

"You are saying that Bleu might be there?" Histoire asked, legs crossed. "If such is true, Adalnan will be relieved, but I have not heard from him since… Regardless, I shall see what I can do."

As usual, three of the friends were chatting amongst each other, while Natalie had just noticed the very young girl walking in. She had pinkish-purple hair, and was accompanied by a tall, skeletal character in a leather jacket.

"Neptune, I have bad news, the crossroads for Hell are—" looking around him, the skeletal one, most likely a reaper due to his scythe, hesitated to say anything more. "Please tell me this isn't related…"

Nick couldn't believe it. "Mr. Grimm? Also from the Twisted Metal series, here!?"

"Yeah, Grimmy over there and I are married!" Neptune pointed out to him. "Did I mention it before, or no?"

" **WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"**

"It's true, she told me." Nick turned to Natalie. "The young girl next to him is their child, believe it or not."

Nick just stood there, completely dumbfounded. "How, and why…." He turned to the young girl. "… and HOW?!"

Natalie was trying her best not burst out laughing from Nick's reaction. After all the teasing she got this was just too perfect for her. "Really surprising, isn't it?"

Nick took a few deep breaths to calm himself before answering. "Actually, the really surprising part is that there's an even smaller squirt then you!" Caela and Michael had to hold Natalie back before something ugly happened.

The smaller girl just blinked, while Mr. Grimm continued staring. "To shorten it, Grimmy, these four came in through whacky, dimensional means… like I normally would! They also phase through certain objects, Bleu is over in their world, and something about Madotsuki returning."

"Funny, I was going to bring that up." Mr. Grimm lifted the small child, hugging her as she giggled. "I'm not able to do my usual delivery of souls, the path of the crossroads are blocked off. I couldn't get into contact with Death or Gregg about this. Now, some souls from the underworld are leaking up here."

Noire groaned, and held her head. "How the heck does all of that happen at once!?"

"Relax, Histy is looking into it… Buuut for now, who's happy to see their dad again?" Neptune chirped, as the child began laughing more. "Is it yooou Angela?"

While Neptune playfully poked the young girl, Blanc turned her attention to Histoire, then back at the group of friends who were now chatting. "Who or what is capable of causing all of that nonsense at once, I wonder? That artifact alone couldn't have just been it." She murmured.

"The pieces simply aren't all there for us to fit together, so we cannot jump to any sort of conclusion just yet. I'm sure we're bound to find out more as time goes on." Vert said, sitting down in a chair as she pondered. "It could take a long while, but I do not mind."

As Angela was put back down, she lightly tapped Neptune then ran off, in an attempt to play tag with her mother. Noire would have objected to Neptune leaving the meeting, but there was no point. Histoire was probably going to have more input on the situation than Planeptune's own CPU anyway.

Mr. Grimm normally would have joined his family, but he was focused on these outsiders, unsure if they were a threat of some kind. The second voice in his head certainly found it interesting.

"A shrimpy Neptune, a pint-sized oracle, a tiny kid… it's almost too perfect for the squirt over there!" Nick teased, annoying Natalie even further. "I mean, I guess the lone exception is the candidate, right?" Michael and Caela couldn't hold her back anymore as she lunged for him.

"WHY?! Why do you always have to treat me like this? It's back enough you ridicule me for liking SEGA, but you also have to treat me like a kid in the process?"

"Natalie, calm down, we've gotten used to his attitude because we know there's no stopping him."

"How are you able to act all mature when you like something that isn't? Or is Microsoft finally fixing the Red Ring?"

"I think there's as much a chance of that as the Resurrection of Rareware- OOF!"

"Again, you just have to make everything worse."

"Agh, that was uncalled for."

"Like the network hack?" Michael asked, in a smug manner.

Now Caela had to hold Nick back from Michael. Tempers were definitely starting to flair so much that the CPUs started to back up. Soon it was pointless to hold back anyone as they started to aim for the throat.

"The Red Ring, lack of a disc buffer, a fat first controller and a worse motion detector, it's no wonder people didn't expect Rare's demise at Microsoft's hands!"

"Oh yeah, well how about that deal with Nintendo and Sony that went sour? That's what led to Playstation being Nintendo's biggest rival!"

"You mean surpasser, and how kind of you to notice. Of course, you can't help but acknowledge Sony's success. Unlike a Broken Record, One-Trick Pony, and Has-Been."

"Why do you always have to act like you're better than us! Just because your console's cool, it doesn't mean you are, you narcissistic jerk!"

Their emotions reached critical peak, then something startling happened.

The outsiders started to glow Black, White, Green, and Purple. Nick became covered with triangles, squares, circles, and x's.

Michael with a, b, c, x, y, and z's.

Caela with a, b, x, and y's.

And Natalie with a, b, c, x, y, and z's.

When the glow dimmed, the CPUs were shocked to see Kratos, Mewtwo, the Gunstringer, and Knuckles standing where the outsiders were.

Knuckles slammed his fists together. "Looks like there's only one way to settle this."

The Gunstringer drew his guns. "Yeah, by beatin' the crap out a' all a' ya."

Mewtwo readied his Aura Spheres. "It appears you have no comprehension of true power."

Kratos unsheathed his blades. "And you have no comprehension of my wrath."

The CPUs ran out of the room before the battle started. The table they were sitting around was turned into splinters in an instant.

"What the hell just happened? And how the hell did they do that?" Noire wondered.

"You have to admit, they are passionate little ones." Vert said, smiling at the situation.

"This is no time for jokes. If they don't calm down who knows what will happen."

"I'll go inform Neptune of the situation. You try to contain this brawl, Blanc." Histoire then floated away, trying to concentrate.

"I'll go make sure Angela is safe." Mr. Grimm took his leave, instantly.

Luckily, the fight didn't get out of the room. The fighters determination to beat each other was too strong to allow running around. It wasn't that long either, until they had their weapons and powers at each other's throats.

"A Mexican Standoff, eh? But it ain't gonna stop me from blastin' yer brains out!" The "Gunstringer" then blinked. "Wait a second, when did I get guns?"

That question snapped everyone out of their bloodlust to realize that they had changed. When their focus broken broken, they glowed again, and revealed themselves to be the outsiders.

"How did we do that? What did we do?" Natalie wondered.

"Wait, wait, let me try something."

Nick closed his eyes, concentrating, then he started to glow. This time, he took the form of Ratchet. "Pretty sweet, eh?" He said leaning against the wall.

Michael started clutching his head. "One mystery after another. And we still don't know squat. How are we going to go home, what's happening here, we know nothing. In fact, this would be the perfect time for the bad guy to attack."

"Don't jinx it!" Blanc shouted finally. Thankfully, she didn't have to transform, like she initially planned. No need to make the scene worse than it already was. "Great, now I'm worried for whatever's happening back in Lowee." She sighed, putting away her hammer, also glad to know there was no need to use that either.

"S-Sorry about that." Michael stammered. He didn't know much of how violent Lowee's CPU got when she was angry, but part of him was definitely getting a hidden, hardcore Nintendo vibe from Blanc.

No one really would try to antagonize the nations right now… would they?

—

A typical Smash Bros. battle was going on. The combatants were Corrin, Kirby, Jigglypuff, and ironically— Cloud Strife.

When Cloud was brought in, quite an amount of controversy rose between Lowee and Lastation.

Lowee residents felt his spot was unearned, and that a more "classic" Final Fantasy character could have used the spot. Lastation residents felt that Smash Bros. stole Cloud from the Playstation All-Stars.

Some were glad that Cloud was with the Smashers however. He certainly didn't raise as many red flags with people as Corrin did.

"I thought this was Super Smash Bros., celebration of Nintendo's greatest mascots," Wolf grumbled, "not the clash of Fire Emblem, Mario, and Pokémon."

Wolf O'Donnell, was leader of the Star Wolf team. He had been around for the previous Super Smash Bros. title, but was strangely excluded from the current one. This was even more unusual considering Mewtwo, Roy, and Lucas had returned, but not him.

Even more unusual, was the inclusion of Dark Pit suddenly. A clone even more blatant than normally, which had led to mockery from some Lowee residents.

"Isn't the cameo appearance of you and your team in that one stage enough?" Palutena replied, smirking at him. "You were absent for quite a long while as well. How many years has no one seen you?… You were not even there for the battle against ASIC and—"

"I was busy trying to rework my team for Zero." Wolf snapped at her, growling. "I didn't know when the DLC characters would be included, nor did I think that Mewtwo and Roy would seriously come back, while the Ice Climbers vanished completely."

Palutena simply turned away from him, ready to take her leave. "No need to be rude. I'm simply saying, Mewtwo played a very big part in helping Lowee. Next time an incident happens, stick around, perhaps."

He kept watching the fight go on, trying to brush off Palutena's words. She was just the flavor of the month, along with Dark Pit especially. They, along with the Fire Emblem characters, would be pushed aside for whatever series the next Smash Bros. title preferred.

Corrin's fight going on right now was… comical, to say the least. She was avoiding Jigglypuff like the plague, as if she had an irrational phobia of the pink Pokémon.

Though, the reasoning for this was simple. Corrin was half-dragon, and Jigglypuff was part fairy type. Fairies, in Pokémon logic, are strong against dragons.

Outside of the basilicom, Mario was discussing the occurrence. They didn't know much beyond Michael suddenly appearing. Blanc suddenly took her leave with the young man. Master Hand mentioned that he would take care of things until Blanc returned, since some sort of meeting was going on in Planeptune.

"How are we going to explain everything that's-a happened in the past to Corrin and Cloud? Or what's-a going on currently? I know that Bayonetta can handle the backstory just fine probably, but…"

Link, the Hero of Twilight, merely shrugged in silence. Donkey and Diddy Kong did the same, almost in an imitating sort of way. "I'm pretty sure as long as we only tell them doses of 'the Console War of 2014', they'll be fine." Samus replied, sitting back with Fox McCloud.

"Hey!" A young, anthropomorphic character of some kind yelled to them. "Thank goodness I found you guys, I need your help! There's some weirdos causing a scene, I tried to stop them, but it wasn't enough!"

This was sudden, but they couldn't turn down a regular Lowee resident begging for help. "To think we were relaxing too. I guess I was bored, though," Samus then prepared her arm-cannon, "where to?"

"At the Icicle Mountain. I was traveling up there."

Mario's worry instantly grew, knowing that the place was quite a hazard, and that the Ice Climbers may or may not have been there. He couldn't risk them being harmed, if they were around.

"Let's-a go already!" Mario yelled, running to the direction of the mountains.

Donkey Kong couldn't help but stare at the individual that had approached them.

Had he seen this character before?

—

Back in Lastation, Sweet Tooth had finally removed the small, vampiric girl.

Sly Cooper, Jak, Daxter, and Toro were mostly bored. Sir Daniel and Cole were more concerned about what was revealed not too long ago, there was no way this was going to get any better.

"That's, uh, a lot to take in." Ratchet said, in response to being told about everything that had occurred while he and Clank were gone for only two hours. "Is PaRappa back from hanging out with his pals yet?"

"Nope!" Daxter replied nonchalantly. "Why you ask? It's not like it's suddenly dangerous, is it?"

Toro thought it over, looking at a small notepad on the refrigerator. "He was supposed to come back at this hour, so we could all play some PS4 games. Maybe I should call him?" The white cat mewed softly, preparing to do just that.

Before he could, a rock smashed the Basilicom's window open. Stained glass shattering, now all over the floor. While everyone else was startled, Sly Cooper lightly poked it, making sure it wasn't a trap.

Taking it in his hands, Sly examined a note, which was strapped onto the rock with just a rubber band.

The handwriting wasn't familiar to him— it wasn't done with magazine clippings or anything— but it was at least readable, somewhat.

"If you want your dog back, find me at Alden's Tower. Make sure you bring the feline alien and his robot."

It was unsigned, and Sly didn't even catch a glimpse of the one responsible for throwing the note. "It's an odd demand, but we can't just leave PaRappa there. Hold on, so I can get Murray to warm up the van."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

 **Forgotten Heroes**

The outsiders were outside the Basilicom, trying to make sense of how their powers worked. Natalie and Caela were being cautious, but Nick and Michael couldn't hold back their excitement. Nick was Cole McGrath, gliding about with his static thrusters. Michael was Samus, enjoying the power of her arm cannon. "THIS IS AWESOME!"

The girls could only groan at their friends turning back into little boys. "Shouldn't you think we should be figuring out exactly just what is happening to us? As well as figure out how the heck we're supposed to get home?"

"Cole" walked over to Natalie. "Don't sweat it much, Squirt. While it's true it's a strange and tricky situation, we should take the small moments to enjoy - OW!"

Nick accidentally hit his foot against a rock, the shock and quick temper making him revert to his original form. "What the heck, you stupid rock! Take that - WHAAA!"

He went to kick the same rock, only for his foot to go completely through it and Nick fall flat on his back. While everyone laughed, his anger was quickly replaced by curiosity. "Hey Michael, stay in that form and touch this rock, will ya? I wanna see something." Michael, still as Samus, bent down and tapped the rock lightly with his finger. Nick tried the same, only for the ghost effect to happen. "OK, new discovery. Even if we're outside a Basilicom, we can touch stuff as long as we're currently in the form of a character. Otherwise, we're basically ghosts."

Vert, entertained, sitting outside with Blanc and Noire, making sure no one got hurt, soon felt a buzz in the pocket of her dress. "Excuse me, I need to take this." A small, green, mobile device was taken out.

Opening it, a hologram of Glacius popped up, surrounded by others. "Oh, Glacius!" Vert said, happily. "Have you found Madotsuki yet?"

"Correct, Lady Vert… Unfortunately, it was a trap."

Vert's eyes widened at the revelation. "What!?"

"We're all stuck here with Madotsuki. None of us can break out. Reimu can't undo the barrier around us, and I can't pass through it. We don't know where the culprit went, but we're going to need back-up."

Shocked, Vert had no idea what to do. If some of her best couldn't break through something, then who could?

Her eyes laid on Caela. Considering how she and her friends had just discovered their new ability…

"I'm afraid I have to leave." Vert said to Noire and Blanc. "Tell Neptune and Histoire to let me know if anything new is learned… Caela?"

"What's wrong, Vert?" Caela wondered, noticing the look of concern on Vert's face.

"I need to ask you for your help, since you had just learned that new power, I feel as if you may be able to assist us. Glacius and the others were sabotaged, and are now trapped. None of them can get free, as unusual as that sounds."

"Trapped? Of course I'll help. I'll do anything to help the heroes of Xbox."

"Wait, I don't think you should be leaving so suddenly—" Noire was interrupted by her communicator going off. "Hello?... What!?" She stood there silently listening for a few minutes, slowly gaining a look of shock on her face. "I'll be there soon!" She hung up and looked at Nick. "I need your help too, PaRappa has been taken hostage by an unknown party to Alden's Tower. I would like it if you could help in the situation while I make sure of everyone's else's safety at the Basilicom."

Nick got up, a serious look showing on his face. "Count on it. I may seem carefree, but I know when it's time to get serious."

"Then I have to get going too." Blanc spoke up, getting everyone's attention, putting away a small device as well. "Apparently, there's currently a scene at Icicle Mountains and Mario and some others went to check it out. Think you could help out, Michael?"

"Of course, glad to help."

"Wait," everyone turned to Natalie, "does anyone else think this is strange? All of these events are happening at the same time right after we gathered here. Do you think there could be a connection?"

"She's got a point. Someone could be taking advantage of the CPUs' absence to start something. But what, no clue. Only one way to find out." Natalie was taken a bit off guard by Nick's words. It was quite rare for him to agree with her and back her up, but like he said, it was time to get serious.

"Then let's get going." Michael chimed in. "If we head back to our respective Landmasses, it can give us some familiar ground to walk on, and our powers also give us an advantage. It might give us the edge we'll need if things get tough."

"Let's just hope it's just something minor and not leading to something bigger."

Nick and Michael just looked at Caela. "Don't jinx it."

"Can we just go already!? The Icicle Mountains will probably all melt by the time you're done talking!" Nick just smirked at Blanc.

"OK, but let's go—" he quickly turned into Ratchet, "—in style!" He shot his hands forward and concentrated, then more of the black symbols generated from his hands, forming Ratchet's ship Aphelion. Everyone just stared in awe. "Honestly, I wasn't sure if I could do that." As everyone facepalmed at that, Nick went into the cockpit. "Noire, you need a ride?"

"No, I'll be fine. Please, just go see if PaRappa is safe." Nick nodded as the ship flew away.

"Let's go to, Caela. We can't keep the others waiting, now can we?" Vert said.

Everyone started to split up, as Natalie stayed to help Neptune with anything that might happen. "Be careful, guys!"

—

Watching the defeated monsters and ghosts start to flee from the woodsy area, the girl smiled innocently. She held an instrument of some kind in her hand.

"This youkai exterminating stuff is easier than I thought, I just wish there was an incident I could solve, to make me the main character… With the shrine maiden gone, I just need to focus on other protagonists, and earn my spot."

Just as she said that, something— or rather, someone, zipped past several trees. They were headed straight for where she had laid her trap.

"Hm? What just flew by?" Her curiosity grew, along with worries, wondering if someone would uncover the flower bush she had made. With little idea on what to do, the girl followed whoever it was.

Vert, in her Green Heart form, was able to track the others down easily, since the mobile device was able to locate those she could contact. All Caela had to do so far was accompany her for the flight.

Which was decided by Vert carrying Caela, a choice that has her currently scared. "Couldn't I have just changed into a character with speed? Or summon a ride like Nick did?"

"I didn't think we would have the time. And besides, the ones we're looking are just up ahead." Caela turned to see the Microsoft characters tangled up in the vines.

She rushed forward after being put down, but her arrival wasn't received all warmly. "This is the girl everyone was talking about? Guess we can't believe everything we hear."

The Gunstringer struggled to see Caela. "Have ta agree wit' ya, Vince. How is this lil' missy supposed ta help us?"

"I-I don't know, but I'm getting an idea. Glacius, stick out your hand." Glacius pulled out his hand, while Caela turned into Master Chief, surprising everyone. "OK, try to make everything liquid but your hand, and I'll try to pull you out."

But when she started to pull, the vines went more wild, trying to ensnare her and keep Glacius trapped. "OK, new plan." A quick flash, and she turned into Marcus Fenix. Still keeping a hold on Glacius's hand, she also tried to cut the vines with the chainsaw gun. It seemed to work at first, but then the vines grabbed the gun and jammed the blade, the surprise tactic causing Caela to lose focus and return to normal.

"Great, I'm getting nowhere."

"I don't think so, you got one out." Caela turned in confusion to where Vert was pointing, almost yelping at the sight of Glacius standing right next to her, free of the vines. "H-how?"

"I do not know, first you attempted to pull me out, then I felt unusual for a second. Then the vines were unable to hold me." Caela had to sit down to figure out what happened, but when she looked down, she saw the answer. Glacius's foot was standing through a rock as if it was a hologram.

… Or if Glacius _was_ the hologram.

"Your foot, it's going through!… Wait, I was still holding your hand when I reverted back to normal, so what if it made you ghostly, like me? That would explain the weird feeling why the vines couldn't get you!"

"If that is the case, then how do I get back to my usual self?"

"Hmmmmm, let's try this." Since they were both in a spectral state, Caela could grab ahold of his hand again, and then changed into a character, returning Glacius to his "solid" state.

Now glad to have a method to help, Caela used her phasing powers to get everyone out. First Reimu and Madotsuki, then Blinx, and then Vince and Gunstringer. "So, why did you save us last?"

"You were being snarky, and the Gunstringer was being a jerk." It took everything Reimu had not to burst out laughing. She was lucky Gunstringer was too busy glaring at Caela to see her. The moment was interrupted by rustling in the bushes. Everyone got into a battle stance, expecting a fight, only to see a face that nearly gave all the Leanbox residents a heart attack. Even those that didn't exactly have hearts.

" _ **WALTERS!?"**_

Jack Walters, the man thought worse than dead, stumbled out of the bushes, half-beaten and ragged, showing the struggles of his travels. "At last, I found someone I know…" He fell forward, exhausted. The whole group rushed forward to help him up.

Reimu was the first to speak. "How is this possible?"

Thankfully, Jack had enough strength to speak. "I don't know. After I was erased, everything was blank. But then there a bright light, and I was back in what was left of L.O.G.'s headquarters. I had no idea how I was back or where everyone was. My only clue was one of the few functioning computers, showing strange events that were happening all over Gamindustri, the only link being a strange energy running rampart.

"I would have stayed, away from everyone, except one of the events I saw was Madotsuki returning from the grave yet again, so I decided to come look for her before others would torture her once more. I was able to get this far, but now you can help me. Have you seen—"

His question was answered before it was finished as Madotsuki rushed toward him in a hug. Some could note a subtle tear running down her cheek. "It's good to know you're safe. But there is one more piece to my story. The energy that brought me back must have also did something to my mind. My medicines were needed far less than before, but I do think that my sanity troubles are all but gone."

Caela got a bit of a headache taking all this in, but she didn't forget the important part. "If this energy that did this is the same that brought me into your world, and it's only doing these things randomly, then if the energy were to be harnessed and controlled—"

"We will be able to take over things!" Glacius's group turned in a fury at that voice, once again seeing their attacker before them. "I don't how you escaped, but you will not be going anywhere. Especially you, Reimu."

Flying over them, a girl with blonde hair floated in place. A red ribbon with cherry accessories in her short, blonde hair. She wore a red dress, a white blouse in front of it. Just like before, the unusual instrument was in her hands.

"So, you're the one who trapped us!" Blinx hissed.

Walters and Vert were completely lost, while Caela tried to think about who this girl was. "I told you, I had to become the protagonist that never was, and to think I was just making progress, doing the things a heroine of Gensokyo does!"

"You mean beating up paranormal bystanders?" Vince joked.

"Protagonist that never was…" Caela's thoughts connected almost instantly, drawing to a conclusion. "Wait, are you Rin Satsuki!? The playable character who was cut from the sixth game, when Touhou first became a platforms on Windows?"

"You mean to say you knew this character? Even when I did not?" Vert asked.

"W-well, I have my share of obscure knowledge on PC games a bit, not just Xbox." Caela nervously replied.

Taking out a couple of spellcards, Rin didn't change her expression. "I should have made your imprisonment more secure. I didn't anticipate on a weird, ghostly human and the goddess to come to your aid. Should I make this more of a 'soku' fight instead? I'm meant to be a protagonist, not a boss— Yipe!"

Impatient and annoyed, Reimu began firing lasers at her. "We don't need to get on an even worse side with her!" Glacius snapped, his usual, calm self breaking out of fear of what would happen next.

Naturally, in response, a symbol appeared behind Rin. A battle was definitely starting.

" _Flower Sign: Vibrant, Red Cherry Blossom!"_

Various red flowers began to pop up from the ground and bloom. All of them were projected at Jack Walters and Green Heart, stunning them both, and forcing the latter back to her human form.

"W-what? What did she just do!?" Vert stammered.

"You're too powerful. A friend said to use this attack on a CPU if they get involved, since they enchanted it. I didn't think it would work on that human too though." Rin didn't seem to care, directing her next spellcard at the others. _"Wind Sign: Divine Breeze!"_

A gust of wind promptly swept Voodoo Vince, the Gunstringer, and Madotsuki away. Blinx attempted using his TS-1000 to slow time, so he could not be pushed by the wind.

Caela had to find a way to resolve this, and she knew that fighting Rin would probably be the only way. Once again, she changed her appearance, this time to Jago from Killer Instinct, as a fighting stance was needed this time.

After being socked across the face by a yin-yang orb and an icicle, Rin Satsuki was met with a punch to her back from "Jago". Blinx also tried to swat at her, only for another spellcard to be activated.

" _Qilin Sign—"_ her sentence was cut off momentarily, holding the single spellcard in her hands. _"Serene Dance of a Reborn Sage!"_

Creating a grid-like structure, various lasers fired at the group. Caela wasn't sure whether to risk it, or play safe like the others. Between all of that were other lasers, in a pointed shape.

Would she be harmed by these? Caela changed back to her original form… and began to pass through the lasers, with her more spectral properties.

Rin was shocked, which allowed everyone else to wail out projectiles at her if they could. Glacius turned into an icy puddle, intending to sneak up on the girl, as Caela waited for there to be an open spot to strike.

As the pattern became less hectic when closer to Rin herself, Caela changed back into Jago's shape.

Feeling a harsh punch to her body once again, Rin was flung towards a tree, nearly breaking it on impact. "Aaah, this isn't right!" She then floated up, examining her belongings. "W-wait! I had a few more spellcards, why don't I—"

"You mean these?" Blinx grinned, holding some spellcards before passing them to Reimu. "I stopped time to swipe them off of you when I got close."

On top of that, Glacius appeared from behind, and grabbed Rin. She gasped at the cold alien's grip on her. "Lady Vert, Jack Walters, are you two still numb?"

Walters struggled to move. "Unfortunately, yes."

Vince was ready to make a joke on how Reimu would probably have to smack her around more just to undo the effects, but it seemed Rin was weakening.

… In an emotional sense.

"Th-that wasn't a fair, fun fight at all," she whimpered, "y-you… Waaah!"

They were all startled by the sudden waterworks formed by the girl. Glacius nearly dropped her in a knee-jerk reaction.

Now, they had an entirely different problem to deal with, regarding Rin…

—

The Icicle Mountain was as freezing as ever. Even when Lowee was nearly cool all year round, except for summer, it remained usually under forty degrees in fahrenheit.

Most Lowee residents wore outfits that covered themselves well enough, with a few sole exceptions like possibly Link. Even then, he did not mind the temperature, as long as he kept moving.

"Where is it already?" Samus muttered to herself. "How much farther do we follow this guy?"

Donkey Kong was still having issues on identifying the character who was guiding them. He may have not been the most intelligent ape, Cranky always called him out on it, but something was definitely biting him.

This one who was guiding them looked a bit like Fox, except he had more wolf-like features, and…

It was like slowly fitting the pieces of a puzzle together, when Donkey Kong thought he definitely recognized him now, but from where?

And why was it only him who was able to make connections, while no one else was questioning this guy?

… Could it be he was—

"We're here." The wolf-like character said.

Mario glanced around the area, nothing but more snow, along with some Polar Bears and Topis walking around.

"There's-a nothing here."

"Or did we miss something?" Fox asked, taking out his blaster. "Are the Ice Climbers alright?"

Taking out his sword slowly, the guide remained stoic. "There will be, now of course…!" Striking a weaker side of the icy mountain with his giant blade, they were all shocked by his sudden betrayal.

"What are you doing!?" Samus questioned, pointing her arm-cannon at him. "Moreover, why are you doing that!? Don't you know what will happen if—"

"An avalanche? Yeah, I know. You're going to be caught in it, and left behind. I dunno whether or not those little ice climbers are here," he continued bashing his weapon against the mountainside, "but that won't matter!"

Before he could continue causing an avalanche, Meta-Knight flew into the scene— more accurately, Michael, taking his form.

"Stop it! What are you—" he hesitated, seeing who was responsible for luring some of the Smashers to the Icicle Mountain.

Michael stared at the character for a few seconds, while changing back to normal.

"Aren't you that character from Dinosaur Planet?" Michael asked, surprising everyone else. "Sabre, wasn't it? What's going on here?"

"I just said, revenge." Sabre growled, pointing his sword at Fox. "Especially against him, for taking away my adventure!"

Startled by the accusation, Fox looked at Mario and Donkey Kong. "What is he yammering on about!?" Mario looked uneasy, knowing what Sabre was referring to. Meanwhile, memories were coming back more to Donkey Kong.

"That one game, Star Fox Adventures, it was originally Dinosaur Planet. A game by Rareware, where the main characters were you, and Krystal. Everything was changed during development, so that Fox was the main character, from what I remember!"

Sabre gently smirked at Michael. "You sure know how to do your homework. I was told that the adventure I was meant to have would be given to me, if I got my vengeance here."

Michael changed back into Meta-Knight. "Don't you dare, I'll fight you if I gotta! It will be all of us against you anyway, so you might as well give in while you can!"

Not listening to him, Sabre began scaling the mountain, and it began scrolling. "Oh great, the last thing I wanted was memories of how tedious this place was to fight in." Samus commented, joining the chase.

Being that he wasn't paying attention to the scrolling environment, Donkey Kong got left behind, and couldn't catch up.

Mario and Samus were professionals with platforming, so it was easy for them to follow Sabre. Link tried to be quick, but found himself sliding on an icy surface, and out of the boundaries.

Michael, still in Meta-Knight's form, could keep up with his wings, but had to worry once a Polar Bear walked by. Fox was attacked by it, knocking him aside.

"I'm not as nimble as I was in my Melee days!" He shouted, sharing the same fate as Link.

"Are the Smashers just rusty with this place?" Michael wondered, remembering that this stage was exclusive to one game, and as typically loathed by fans. It was probable that they all lost their usual experience with the Icicle Mountain over the years.

Sabre didn't focus much on swatting the others away, until the scrolling slowed down. Samus caught up, and he used his sword against her. Picking up a Freezie, Sabre flung it at Mario. "Hope you remember these guys, from your plumbing days!" He growled, brutally striking the frozen Mario soon after.

That left Samus and Michael. The both of them knew to be careful, as Sabre could now take advantage of the lower numbers.

"Ey!"

Not keeping his guard up, Sabre was hit by a blast of ice.

"The Ice Climbers…!" Michael exclaimed, seeing the small, coat-wearing, mallet-wielding duo suddenly arrive.

"Take your chance now, while we keep him distracted!" Nana yelled.

Michael did exactly that, using Meta-Knight's Drill Rush attack on Sabre. Samus followed up by firing Charged Shot.

"Alright… now what?" Samus asked, since Sabre was now out of bounds.

Unfortunately, the mountain began to shake, right as Michael changed back to normal again.

He had to think, how to get everyone out of there safely, and fast, or they would be frozen until someone found them.

"Uh, hey? Popo to stranger who was pretending to be Meta-Knight?" The ice climber clad in blue tried to touch Michael's hand, only to find his entire body turn ghost-like. "Wah! What happened!?"

Michael snapped out of it, not sure how Popo did that just now. "How… wait, Samus, can I try something?" The bounty hunter gave permission, and Michael lightly touched her shoulder.

The same effect that was on Popo, now afflicted Samus.

"I think I know a way, at least, I hope it will work!"


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 **Enlightenment of Events**

The van increased speed quickly down the streets, with Empire City slowly getting within view. "I'm actually starting to feel a bit nostalgic returning here." Cole was sitting in the passenger seat, with Sly driving, and Toro, Jak, Daxter, Sir Dan, Ratchet, and Clank in the back

. "Why do you think the guy that kidnapped PaRappa wanted Ratchet and Clank to come?"

Sly had a grim look on his face. "I don't know, what struck me was that the note didn't specify them to come alone. There's hints of a grudge, but whoever sent it might be looking to start a fight with anyone."

"But there is a target singled out, and they might be in more danger than PaRappa." Clank was concerned by Jak's comment, especially that their assailant's actions doesn't match any of the foes they faced before in their games or with the other All-Stars. His thoughts were interrupted by the van suddenly stopping.

"We're here."

As they stepped out of the van, some couldn't help but be impressed by the tower. They've been there several times before, but they were always too busy fighting to really see it. Toro was really interested in its origins. "Cole, did one guy really make all of this? Just by using his own power?"

"Yeah, climbing this thing was one of the toughest things I had to do. If it wasn't for my powers, I wouldn't have done it." Cole's reminiscing was interrupted by projectiles zooming past him.

The All-Stars got on the defensive while Clank went to examine what was shot at them. "Ratchet, everyone, these projectiles look strangely a lot like fangs!"

"That's because they are fangs!" Everyone turned to the sound of the voice, to see an armor-clad warrior on top of the tower. She looked a little like Ratchet, except a little more feline in appearance, and her fur was a darker brown. She also had red flowing hair that was mostly covered by her helmut.

"You! What did you do to PaRappa!?" At first it seemed like the stranger didn't understand Sir Dan, but she turned around and grabbed something, revealing it to be PaRappa.

He didn't look too hurt, but he was tied up, and had obvious fear in his eyes. "As you can see, your friend is fine, but you have to get up here to get him, and I want that alien and tin can first!" She disappeared before anyone could speak.

"What, wait…..!" Ratchet was unable to think of anything to say, as he didn't know what grudge the individual had against him and his partner. "Great. Looks like we've got no choice but to climb up. Me and Clank will go up first, seeing as that's what she wants."

Ratchet and Clank went up first, followed by Sly and Cole, then Jak and Daxter, and Sir Dan and Toro bringing up the rear. Being from platformers, Ratchet, Sly, Cole, and Jak had no trouble getting up, but Sir Dan had trouble because of his armor, so Toro stayed behind to help him up.

Ratchet got to the top first, but was able to hide behind some rubble before he was spotted. Sly, Cole, and Jak joined him. Sly looked around the corner with his Binocucom to fully assess the situation. "We can't risk a fight while PaRappa is tied up there. I hate to say it, but she's got the advantage."

Ratchet gave a look around. "Maybe, I got an idea. I'll go alone, and when I've got PaRappa, you go in and charge."

"And how are you supposed to that, fuzzy?" Ratchet ignored Daxter as he stepped out of their hiding place.

"OK, I don't know who you are or what your deal is, but I want my friend back."

"Of course you wouldn't remember, hardly anyone does. Even those who were at Insomniac forgot about me." Ratchet was taken back at what she said, wondering what she meant by mentioning his developers. "But there's time for that later. Right now you're at my mercy, and I want these moments to count. Throw your Omniwrench over there, I feel like taking you down the old fashioned way."

Ratchet got in a stance, prepared to throw his wrench, and as soon as he did, he got out his swingshot and quickly snagged PaRappa, reeling him in away from his captor. "What, NO!" Ratchet got Parappa just when his Omniwrench came swinging back.

"NOW GUYS, GET HER!" Sly, Cole, and Jak all jumped out, charging head-on to seize the advantage. But the attacker didn't seemed to be taken off-guard, she just made a throwing motion with her arm. Before they could figure out what she did, the three of them fell to the ground. "Guys!"

Ratchet went to turn them over to see what was wrong, only to see them laughing their heads off. "Tickle Bugs. They love eating the salty tears that creatures make when laughing too hard. But I'm not sure it'll work on him."

Ratchet turned to see that Sir Dan and Toro have finally arrived, and not a minute too soon. "But this little guy might." She brought out something that looked like a mutant anteater, that started to spit out red bugs that burst into flame when they got to Sir Dan. He started running around in a panic when the heat started to melt his armor, and Toro was busy trying to cool him off, leaving Ratchet all alone.

"This is just how I want it. No one interfering, no one stalling, just me giving you what you deserve." She readied her weapon, a sword that resembled a shark, and attacked. Ratchet was able to keep on par with her, but he was kept on the defensive and unable to bring out his weapons. Surprisingly, his opponent jumped back, but she then shot the teeth of her shark-sword at Ratchet.

He was able to dodge thank's to Clank's time powers, and was able to retaliate with his Combuster. But the attacker was more agile than Ratchet, and was able to dodged the shots with ease. It looked like it was going to be a stalemate for a while, but then laser blasts came out of nowhere.

Everyone that could looked up see a sight that put some in confusion, and others in fury. "Two Ratchets… But how!?" The second Ratchet jumped out of the cockpit of his ship, only for it to disappear in a black glow, increasing the confusion, as he got ready to slam attack the one attacking the first Ratchet. But she regained her composure long enough to catch him and slam him against the wall. When he did, he glowed all over, turning into what was familiar only to two.

"Nick?" Sir Dan was able to calm down and cool down, and was surprised to see the newcomer changed into one of his friends.

"Yeah, long story. Anyway, why are fighting Madi?"

Everyone looked at him. "You know who this is?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda surprised you don't. You both came from the same developers. She was part of a game called Monster Knight, which was one of the games Insomniac was planning for the PS2 before they put all focus on your series. You could say she's almost like a big sister to you."

"I REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY RELATION TO THIS THING!"

Everyone jumped at her outburst, so much that even the Tickle Bugs ran, allowing Cole and the others to get recover. "Because of him, I never got the chance I deserved. All that work that was put into my game for NOTHING! And it's all his fault!" She lunged forward, putting Ratchet back on the defensive. Their battle was so close and tense that it was tough for anyone to get in.

Sly started to get a signal on his Binocucom, after seeing who it was, he called out to Nick. "It's for you, something about your new powers." Nick changed into Sweet Tooth so he could hold the Binocucom and not be an easy target. "Yeah?"

Ratchet was doing good to avoid damage, but Madi's superior speed was allowing her to gain some ground, and Ratchet was getting closer to the edge. Before he was forced off the last few feet, a blast of fire came out of nowhere, causing Madi to go back before she was burned. And she was not happy to see Sweet Tooth interrupting with her revenge. "I'm actually a bit surprised that you could get your fat self up this far of the tower, Clown Boy."

"Sweet Tooth" grabbed Ratchet's shoulder. "Sorry, but you got the wrong guy." Nick changed back to his original form, the morph effect spreading to Ratchet and Clank, making them intangible too. "Now you can't touch us."

"You're bluffing." Madi swung forward with so much force that the floor was cut beneath Nick and Ratchet, but they didn't get a single scratch. "What? No… no, no! Noooooooooo!" She kept swinging and swinging with her sword, but it just kept passing through the two of them.

"Yep, and while you can't touch us, _they_ can touch _you_." Madi turned to see the recovered All-Stars surrounding and closing in on her.

She glared at all of them. "I won't forget this!" She brought out another monster that looked like a flattened beetle.

"Wait! Stop her!" Nick's warning came a second too late as Madi jumped off the tower, using the beetle-shield to glide down. Before she hit the ground, a huge monster with a big mouth came out of the ground, and used his breath to send her away and out of their reach. Then he turned around shot boulders out of his mouth, destroying the supports of the tower.

Turning Ratchet back to normal, Nick was quick to act. "Those that can glide grab someone who can't!" Toro climbed on Cole's back, bringing an unconscious PaRappa with them, Ratchet carried Jak and Daxter with Clank's Heli-Pack, and Nick turned into Kratos to carry Sir Dan with the Wings of Icarus.

Safely back on the ground, Nick was nothing but worried. "There were similar incidents going on on the other Landmasses. I don't think this was an isolated event. There's obviously a connection." Everyone started to get serious. "Let's hope the van wasn't crushed by the rubble, we need to report this ASAP."

While they looked for the van, Nick was thinking. The incidents reported to the CPUs were only occurring in Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox, but none were mentioned in Planeptune. He hoped that it didn't mean it was next, he made a note to check in later.

"Be careful Natalie." He thought to himself.

—

"Those outsiders," the sleepy woman looked into a crystal ball, the others also watching. "I think they're ruining it for us, the ones you gave advice to were forced to either surrender, or flee."

"Huh, I didn't think that would happen. Where did these kids even come from?" The angel scratched his head, more perplexed than angry. "Aw, even poor Rin got beaten down and taken away, oh well!"

"Oh well?" The anglerfish asked. "I thought that—"

"She was of worth to me? I chew girls like her up, and spit 'em out when I'm done. So much for a protagonist, I aid her, and she fails." The angel laughed, kicking his feet up onto the table while leaning back in his chair. "I wouldn't dare let any 'affections' get in the way of our plan!… So, what's up with Planeptune then? We didn't send anyone to attack there and all."

Waving her hands around the crystal ball, there was an image of a very calm Planeptune basilicom, a girl standing there. "There's another one of those outside humans." The robotic creature hissed. "Are you still going up there?"

A soft, evil chuckle came from the tall man, having a blue glow around him…

The Dark Champion, lord of all things chaotic. The Yin to the Eternal Champion's Yang.

His motivation for being here? Creating another fun disaster for the world, while also having his revenge on Planeptune's CPUs, shafting the series he originated from, in favor of another.

"I shall lure that human into a false sense of security, and learn of their abilities. It would benefit us all to understand them more, would it not?… I shall then dispose of them, once I exploit their weaknesses."

"Tha' sounds like a good idea to me. We can crush 'em tha' way!" The man puffing his cigar replied.

"Alright then, Dark Champ! Do your best up there, we'll be checking on what happened to our pawns." The angel gave a thumbs up to the deity. Snapping his fingers, the Dark Champion left the scene.

—

His imitation of the Eternal Champion was perfect. The outfit was exactly his, the aura color didn't look off, and the Dark Champion was able to impersonate his brother's voice to the point where anyone could be fooled.

Even a hardcore SEGA fan like Natalie, but he figured she wouldn't notice to begin with. The disguise was more for Planeptune residents who would find the Dark Champion too suspicious. The Eternal Champion though? It would come across more like he was there to help.

It was successful. The Dark Champion was greeted warmly by a vast majority. Histoire didn't even notice anything wrong, as smart as she was. Saying he was there to meet the outsider, since it concerned Gamindustri's balance, permission was granted.

Surrounded by old consoles from years ago, and particularly modern-looking ones that don't exist in the real world, Natalie was enjoying herself. She was worried about her friends, but… it was also quiet.

No fighting over which console or company was best, just her and the occasional SEGA mascot popping in to say hello, talking about whatever.

Looking at the old, SEGA CD, Natalie felt as if someone was approaching her from behind.

"Greetings, outsider."

Startled, Natalie turned around to see the "Eternal Champion" towering over her. "Apologies if I frightened you. I had heard of the incident, and noticed a disturbance in the world." She just blinked repeatedly, which the deity paid no mind to. "You must have no idea who I am—"

"You're the Eternal Champion, aren't you?"

He flinched, eyes widening in surprise.

"Sorry, it's just that, Eternal Champions is one of my favorite fighting games, along with Virtua Fighter and Fighting Viper actually." Natalie explained, feeling embarrassed for asking. "I met Xavier Pendragon a little while back, along with Larcen Tyler. I'm not too surprised that you would show up, if this concerns your world and such."

This was bad. If he messed up some of his actions, Natalie would figure out something was wrong.

But this was also good. The Dark Champion did not have to explain his brother's role to her, or what series he came from.

"Mister Eternal Champion, if I may call you that," Natalie asked, "do you know why suddenly some incidents are occurring in the other three nations, or have you not looked into that?"

The Dark Champion hesitated to answer. He would very much like to lie, but there was nothing coming to mind. Though, if he told a truth with more questions, then maybe he could learn Natalie's weaknesses.

Or, maybe, he could turn her to his side.

"He had an unusual power, able to put others in a state such as yours with a single touch, making them have properties similar to a phantom. I wished to help, but it seemed that they had all handled it well, and my concern for Planeptune was stronger, since I am most familiar with this nation.

"May I ask, to see if such is possible for you as well?" He requested, trying his hardest to imitate his brother's manners.

"How would I do that?"

"Simple," he said with a smile, "just place your hands on someone. I do not think it can be me, due to my own physical properties."

She wasn't sure whether to follow through with that. Though, it was the "Eternal Champion" before her, what was there to not trust about it?

"Alright. Say, Beat?"

The orange-haired teenager wearing headphones and green goggles stopped in place. He had been rolling around the Basilicom in his rollerblades, not particularly safe, but it was typical of the GG's founder.

"Somethin' you want, Nat?" It was pretty obvious now to the Dark Champion that the outsider had gotten friendly with a few of Planeptune's characters.

"This is going to sound weird, but, can I touch your shoulder or something?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Apparently, there's a new power I can do that requires physical contact with other characters."

"Oh, then go ahead, but it's not going to be weird, is it?"

"It shouldn't be."

Natalie put her hand on Beat's shoulder, but nothing was happening. Both Natalie and the Dark Champion were puzzled, until the Dark Champion remembered something. "Before the characters were made into a phantom state, the outsiders were turning back into their 'normal' forms after being a character. Perhaps that is the case here?" Natalie let go of Beat's shoulder, turned into Sonic, and tried again. This time she held on while changing back, and glow flowed on to Beat seemingly becoming ghostly like Natalie.

Beat decided to try it out by going through a wall, but he unable to even put his hand through it. The Dark Champion was growing concerned until Natalie spoke up. "It could be because we're still in the Basilicom. Because of its unique connection with our world, we can be solid even when we're not morphed. The only way to see if it worked is to go outside."

Beat and the Dark Champion followed her outside, where she instructed Beat to try and tap a nearby tree. He tried, but he kept passing through it, confirming Natalie's theory and giving the Dark Champion the information he was looking for. "Pretty nice, but could you get me back to normal please? This is starting to get a bit creepy." Natalie gladly turned him back, and as Beat skated away, the Dark Champion decided to initiate his plans for the girl.

He had to learn how they could be harmed, and permanently eliminated. Someone such as him took great pleasure in the demise of others after all. It wasn't like this would be any different.

—

"We're going to strike Lastation first, Mercury. Do you understand?" Dr. Nefarious looked at the… rather silent, robot before him. She was shorter than him, but somehow more intimidating than she should.

Another rise of robots would soon happen. Mercury had been tuned up completely, and Nefarious had gotten help from a futuristic, almost humanoid robot. He almost wanted to reject them for their looks, but they truly showed themselves to be professional. A must-need for the mission.

Not as great as Mercury, being she was an imitation of a CPU candidate, but still an asset that the doctor wanted.

If Mercury could sweep everyone in Lastation to the side, the entire nation would belong to robots. Ratchet and Clank stood no chance, and neither would the others, surely.

At the very slight chance something went wrong, Nefarious wanted Mercury to return immediately.

He didn't value the lives of others. Usually.

But ever since Ruukoto…

"Is there a problem, Dr. Nefarious?" Mercury asked.

"Nothing, not at all!" He had to push aside any emotion or worries. Besides, it what he was doing to get back to his devious schemes. "Why are you standing around anyway? I order you to invade Lastation's Basilicom! Become the new CPU!"

"Affirmative." Turning on the jets installed in her boots, Mercury flew out of the station.

On her way out, Scervo watched her leave, as did a purple-haired, effeminate reploid. "Is something wrong with the doctor?" He asked the pirate.

"Aye, don't worry too much about it, Lumine. He's probably rememberin' a past experience. One that got me brother back, sorta, at the cost of… someone else. Long story and all."

"I see." The reploid looked down, seeming a bit saddened to hear that. "Sometimes things need to be sacrificed for another, I suppose."

"It wasn't even that to be exact, it was more like—" the both of them noticed Clunk joining their conversation, forcing them to change the subject. "What ye want, short imitation?"

"Oh, nothing. Normally, I would be upset that someone else was taking at that idiot Clank instead of me, but…" He gave a mischievous expression. "Do you know what that Mercury robot plans to do after this is all over?"

"… _Into the trash ye go!_ " Scervo picked up Clunk, and proceed to place him inside of the trash slot. The two of them soon got into a struggle, much to Lumine's amusement.

Nefarious rolled his eyes upon seeing the commotion, he didn't want to bother with it. All that mattered, was if Mercury succeeded.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

 **Mercury**

"Who are you? What do you want with the Basilicom?" CFW Brave, a former member of ASIC who had turned for the better demanded to know. "Those who wish harm on the CPUs shall have to pass through me, as I have been currently assigned to—"

"Initiating attack sequence." The robotic girl whirred, the blade extracting from her arm transforming into a cannon, which aimed at Brave. He was prepared for anything, but as a giant laser pierced his metallic body, it was followed up by a swift kick.

Kicks combined with the jets attached to Mercury's boots, to make it worse. The cannon changed back into a blade, slicing Brave's leg off.

"H-how is this—!?" He gasped, watching Mercury fly around his body up close. The blade gashing through him made a sound similar to nails on a chalkboard, leaving behind sparks in the process.

Before long, she was done, and left CFW Brave behind. "Nuisance disposed of. Proceeding to Basilicom."

Mercury flew away from him as Brave staggered.

He tried to activate the monitor on his chest, as busted as it was "I… I need to tell… Uni."

—

"You think that knight chick would have gotten away if everyone was still here?" Daxter wondered, while trying to wake up PaRappa as they were in the van. "I mean, Kratos, Radec, Isaac Clarke, and a bunch of others would normally nab people like her with ease, and now they don't hang out with us anymore!"

Nick wondered what that meant exactly. Come to think of it, a lot of the Playstation All-Stars weren't around. "What happened to some of them anyway?"

"Well, uh," Jak hesitated, "Kratos doesn't want to do violent battles anymore, last time someone checked on him. Emmett Graves and Heihachi Mishima left for their own reasons…"

"Isaac Clarke was upset along with Gex over Noire being somewhat selfish, and Bleu no longer being around." Toro mewed sadly.

"Radec, uh… Daniel do you want to explain?" Ratchet asked.

Dan was taken off guard at the task of explaining being pushed to him, but Radec was his rival, so he knew he had some responsibility for telling what happened. Luckily, Nick was able to understand his jawless speech due to playing all 3 MediEvil games.

Now he was wishing he didn't, because he couldn't believe what was being told to him.

"First Mr. Grimm is married to the goddess of SEGA and made a kid despite being nothing but bones, and now Colonel Radec is romantically involved with a 17-year-old girl… Is it just me, or does bring this world bring up the weirdest relationships ever?"

"Relationships aside, it's clear that we need to get everyone back together. If your theory is true and there is something threatening all of Gamindustri, we're going to need all the help we can get." Jak was figuring out how they can be able to bring everyone back while making sure Daxter didn't try to smack PaRappa awake.

Meanwhile, as they were getting closer to the Basilicom, Sly and Cole noticed a terrifying sight in front of the van. "Brave?!" Sly stopped the van, and Cole got out quickly to tend to his wounds.

He was able to stabilize his condition, but his leg needed immediate attention. "Who did this? Was it a cat-girl in armor?"

"No." Brave struggled to talk. "It… was a robot girl. Her power… it was too great for me. She's heading for the Basilicom. Please…make sure…..Uni's…safe…" His head slumped over has he fell into unconsciousness. Sly started to get a grim look in his eye.

"Cole, Toro, you two stay here to look after Brave and get some help. The rest of us will head to the Basilicom. Let's hope we're not too late."

Madi was rushing towards the Basilicom as fast as she could. "I wasn't able to take down that furball and his junk-bot, but I proved I can be able to hold my own against those fools. While I'm still a mystery to the others, I'll stage a sneak attack on the Basilicom and crippled their operati… what?!"

Madi stopped dead in her tracks, seeing the Basilicom half-destroyed. The damage was fresh and there were still some fires burning inside. She turned to see Basilicom workers and whatever Playstation characters were currently stationed out of the building as if they were running from a war zone. Among them was Sweet Tooth, looking over a young girl who was badly cut. Madi quickly rushed over. "What happened here? Who did this?"

Sweet Tooth turned to her. "I don't know who you are, kitty cat, but you might want to run. Some OP robot came out of nowhere and just started attacking. This girl is a 500-year-old vampire and she was taken out just like that! The CPUs are battling her now to buy us time to escape, and I'm taking it! I don't want my truck getting scrapped again!"

Before anything else could be said, a loud boom was heard. Uni, in her HDD form, was blasted out by the shockwave, and landed with a crash barely able to move. Out of the newly formed hole walked out the mysterious attacker, holding Noire's beaten body in her hand. "CPUs defeated. Major threat disabled. Proceeding to take care of lesser obstacles."

Madi step forward, Swordling in hand. "I don't know who you are, but you are definitely not part of the plan made by the others. And we don't want any interference. Leave, or I'll destroy you."

The girl just smirked, and readied her cannon, putting it on full blast. "You're first."

"LOOK OUT!" Madi felt herself getting tackled as the cannon fired, releasing a blast that wiped out everything in its path. Luckily, no one was caught in the blast. Madi struggled to get up, and was shocked to see who pushed her out of the way.

"You? But why? Is this another one of your tricks?"

Ratchet got up and dusted himself off. "No, it isn't. You may consider yourself my enemy, but that doesn't mean I want you dead. Also, you were going to attack that thing, which means we've got a common foe at the moment."

Madi hated to admit it, but Ratchet was right. Whatever that girl was, it's too powerful to take on alone. "Fine, temporary truce, but I will be the one who beats you when this is over."

"Yeah, good luck with- uh!" Ratchet was knocked over by Sweet Tooth who charged like a madman towards the robot.

"The blast you fired caused a rock to fly and dent my truck! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Mercury just did an effortless swing of her hand, making Sweet Tooth fly back to his truck, but thankfully missing and not causing another dent.

"That had to hurt, anyone got any ideas, Jak, Sly, Nick….?" Ratchet turned to see that Nick was already by Noire's body, discarded by Mercury's feet.

"You…...you did this?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"It was my orders."

"Orders? From who?"

"Dr. Nefarious."

"Nefarious?!" Both Ratchet and Nick exclaimed.

"Yes, I was designed to be a CPU for robots, and was sent to bring down Lastation to turn it into a nation for robots."

"Nefarious… to think he would sink this low… and turn against those who helped make him who he is…" Nick was shaking, tears streaming down his face. "I don't care how cool you are, or even if it's your own console…

" **NO ONE…. # &% $... WITH PLAYSTATIOOOOOOOOOOOOON!"**

His body then generated a huge glow so intense that it blinded everyone viewing the scene. Even Mercury has to shield her eyes. When the glow finally ended, Nick was not a friendly sight. On his feet were Ratchet's Charge boots. In his left hand, was the Buster sword. And in his right hand, was the Blade of Olympus. And on his face, was pure rage.

Mercury was amused, but she wanted to get rid of this nuisance. She thrust her blade forward, aiming to pierce his heart, but it felt like she was only hitting air. Looking closer, she saw the ghost effect around the blade. As his torso was still normal, it was unaffected by things made of code.

"My turn." Mercury jumped back before the blow connected, trying to get some distance. But Nick's charge boots were constantly closing the gap, as well as giving a speed boost to his attacks. Mercury activated her boots to get to the air and to dodge a speed-enhanced cross slash. The attacked missed, but the swing was still powerful enough to leave small crevices on the ground. Ratchet and the others knew that giving some room was all they could do, and using the distraction to retrieve Noire and Uni, started an evacuation of the entire area that would soon become one of the deadliest battlefields they've ever seen.

Nick retreated his current parts, springing forth Kratos's wings to join the battle in the sky. He brought out Nathan Drake's Rocket Launcher and Isaac Clarke's Plasma Cutter, going for ranged attacks to keep her off balance. But Mercury was too fast and too nimble, able to dodge the blasts and get in close to pummel him. He quickly changed his arms into Heihachi's, able to get her arms in an iron grip.

They struggled for a few minutes trying to get the upper hand, but their strength was equal for the moment. Nick was having trouble figuring out how to get an edge when he had a sudden idea. Aiming for Mercury's face, he shot out Gex's tongue, blinding her and using Raiden's legs to send a lower sword strike at her. He was able to get a few scratches, but nothing major. Mercury put her jets through a quick boost, flipping her and breaking out of the grip-lock they were in.

"You are annoying me more and more. Clearly, you are a bigger threat than the CPUs. Dr. Nefarious won't tolerate your presence and neither will I. It is time to destroy you."

"Right back at ya. You should have known better than to mess with the big boys." And on that statement, Nick surrounded himself with a huge amount of the glow symbols, taking the form of Metal Gear REX, fully armed and operational. "Get ready for this."

Mercury was forced to be put on the defensive. She was able to dodge the missiles just fine, but the laser attacks would come out of nowhere, and when she went low, she risked getting stomped on by REX's large feet. She was able to get a few shots from her cannon, but the armor was too tough to break, and she didn't have the time to charge up a more powerful shot. She concluded that the only way to stop this was to stop the driver. But doing so proved difficult, as REX's unique design made it a little tough to determine the location of the cockpit, and the incoming missiles were not helping.

She found the cockpit after a few minutes and went in for the kill. She tore it open, only to see that Nick's head was now that of Spyro, giving her a faceful of fire. As she was temporarily blinded, Nick jumped out with the Nemean Cestus, giving Mercury a quick and thorough pounding as they fell to the ground. They landed with a loud crash, with Nick still doing as much damage as he can.

Mercury caught the Cestus before another blow can be struck, and brought her foot up to Nick's face. Nick quickly changed into Sir Dan with his Dragon Armor, allowing him to survive the flames but the force still blasted him away quite a distance. Mercury started to get up as her circuits started to charge up. "It looks like I'll have to use this ability after all. He cannot be taken lightly, or all of Dr. Nefarious's plans will fall by his hand." Mercury began to glow herself, the sudden rise in power repairing the damage done to her body, as well as changing her. When she was done, she was in a state similar to a CPU's HDD, with her abilities and fighting strength raised exponentially.

"Now let's see him try… huh?"

A huge shadow went over Mercury, and it was getting bigger. She looked up, and began to understand a little of what it meant to feel fear. For Nick assumed the mountain-sized form of Chronos from God of War, with his fist heading right towards the robotic CPU. There was no time to dodge, as the fist hit the ground, cracking and shattering the area around it.

When the fist was raised, it was amazing to see that Mercury was still standing, despite one of her legs getting broken and one of her arm cannons rendered inoperational by the blow. As she tried to get any balance to stand and aim with her remaining cannon, he heard a motor in the distance. She saw Nick approaching in Mr. Grimm's motorcycle, his arm turned into that of Scorpion's, launching his chain at her. "Always wanted to say this… _GET OVER HERE!_ "

The chain connected, causing Mercury to be dragged along for the ride, literally. But the ride only lasted for about ten seconds, with a sudden stop causing her to be flung forward by the momentum, and right towards the Big Daddy drill Nick was sporting. The combined forces of Mercury's "flight" and the drill were enough for Nick to penetrate her chestplate, revealing her wiring and circuitry. As the counterforce of the drill flung Mercury back, he reached out with Sly's cane, snagging any electronic components that it could and yanking them out she fell.

Her defeat now obvious, Mercury turned back into her normal self. "This is preposterous…. how could I be defeated… by a fleshing?" Nick stood above her, circuitry in hand.

"Simple," he said, "you messed with the wrong console."

Rather than fury, a grin was formed on Mercury's face, behind her busted up face-plating. "I must retreat for now, and inform Dr. Nefarious. He and Lumine had a massive oversight, it seems."

Nick wasn't going to lose his cool, or try to rid of Mercury. She was a giant threat, but giving Nefarious the message to not mess with Playstation characters probably meant more.

That, and he had to make sure everyone was alright after all of that.

"To think Nefarious would send that out. Is he nuts!? He's normally tame, save a few instances!" Ratchet spat.

"I got a feeling he didn't make that on his own, knowing him." Sly replied, putting the Binocucom away. "I snapped a few photos as she was being flung around. I sent some to Bentley, and he says she was made in Planeptune."

"Planeptune? What kind of freak made her?" Jak wondered.

"Well, what other mad doctor who relies on robots lives there?"

It didn't take long to figure out at all. Before they could react, a familiar character, having a humanoid body made up of purple, polygonal shards arrived, holding bags.

"I come back to Lastation after being at Lowee for only two days… and this happens!?" P-Man exclaimed.

This was going to take a while to explain to him, especially with Madi present…

—

Mercury returned, and nearly collapsed at the front of the station.

"Oh good, you have retur— ahhh…" Lawrence nearly covered his eyes, seeing parts of Mercury opened up. "I shall get Dr. Nefarious for you."

Preparing herself for any screaming, Mercury turned off the sound sensory in her systems…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Several other, smaller robots lifted Mercury from where she was, taking her to an operating table. Once Mercury was strapped in by magnetic locks, Dr. Nefarious stormed in, Lumine and a few other accompanying him.

"Can I watch?" Dreadfuse asked.

"No, the last thing I need is ye gettin' nightmares from— great Lanayru! What happened to the lass!?" Scervo barked, trying to push his crown-wearing brother out of the repairmen room.

Several devices surrounded Mercury, but she didn't show any fear, of course. "A human," she replied, "one who could change his shape and power to such extremes. It was a close match, and I had nearly disposed of a vast majority of Lastation."

Nefarious wanted to scream even more, not at Mercury, but at anyone else.

"Should we strike Lastation again? I think I should help Mercury." Clunk suggested, giving a sly grin.

"You didn't want the CPUs dead to begin with, I say it was a mission success." Lumine pointed out to Nefarious.

It was true, he wanted to overthrow them, by Mercury apprehending them once it was over. Dr. Nefarious was evil, but… he would never kill Noire and Uni, out of everyone there. Otherwise much worse would probably happen to him.

Did it make any sense? No. But a mind as twisted as his probably didn't need to. Lawrence questioned it 24/7, but the others wouldn't. "We could attack again, or go after another nation. Your pick, doctor."

"How about Lowee? I say them green tunic wearin' landlubbers, calling themselves heroes, deserve to be walked off the plank by the Mercury lassie!" Scervo suggested, looking anxious about the idea.

Lawrence didn't dare make fun of how Scervo had been sounding more and more pirate-like lately, to the point of it being almost satire. He was certain that his own brother probably made fun of it too.

"We'll hold back for now, so we can learn more about the squishy human who decided to nearly destroy the robot CPU— Clunk, Get your hands away from her!"

Swatting Clunk away from Mercury's exposed chest region, he giggled evilly.

"I will see if I can get the information on that human for you, Dr. Nefarious. When we are ready, I would like to join in on fighting the organic lifeforms, if possible." Lumine said to the doctor.

"Good, because I can't fathom how some human managed to force Mercury to flee!" Dr. Nefarious groaned, pressing a button to initiate the repairmen program on Mercury.

Her recovery would be quick, at least, nearly all of them hoped for that. Especially Dr. Nefarious.

He never, ever, wanted a repeat of what happened a couple of years back.

A few minutes had passed, it wasn't like him, but he kept thinking about it more.

" _Ruukoto."_

His systems nearly froze. Not like they would from screaming and going into "Lance & Janice" mode, but from the name.

The one who uttered it just now, everyone had left while he was still attending—

"Who were they, Dr. Nefarious? You are clearly troubled."

Mercury had asked it. She normally never questions anything, but if it was something like this, it must have been important for her to know.

"A robot that was, er, here before you. Left behind to rot by some squishy, so I booted her back up, added some upgrades, and allowed her to join my cause!" He had to keep up his usual character, at the very least.

She processed what she was informed of just now. "They are no longer around?"

"Y-yes, that is correct."

Awkward silence. He dreaded Mercury asking how it happened, forcing Dr. Nefarious to step out of the operating room. "Don't worry about it, none of it concerns us now! In the past, you know?"

Mercury would have objected, but he had already exited the room. The sliding door shut itself, and Dr. Nefarious stood outside.

Don't think about it.

Don't feel any form of guilt, be the villain you once were.

That's all Nefarious had to do.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 **An Evildoer's Fetch Quest**

Her crying had stopped after a while. Mainly with Caela feeling bad enough to start comforting Rin, and getting her comfortable in Leanbox's Basilicom. Despite the fight Rin put up, Vert didn't plan to threaten or interrogate her.

"What exactly is a qilin anyway? Sounds dumb." Kazooie commented, before being hit on the head by Banjo, forcing her to retract into his backpack.

"It's a mythical, dragon-like creature with hooves, I think. It comes from Chinese culture." Reimu replied.

"Chinese monster, huh?" The Gunstringer questioned, readying one of his revolvers. "Did the Beard Master send ya?" Noticing Rin's fearful expression, he tried to not look serious. "I'm uh, only kiddin', don't take it to heart."

"I'm a reincarnation of a qilin, and… I worked as a nurse." Rin explained to them all, nervously. "Qilins have the power to bring good fortune, protection, healing, and fertility. So before I vanished, those who were down on their luck or hurt, would come visit me."

There was a moment of hesitance, she was actively avoiding eye contact with everyone. "So it's a bit like a unicorn, but Chinese?" Blinx wondered.

"Qilins also punish the wicked," she continued, "which is why I was in line to be one of the heroines. Though, n-now that I think about it… my sense of detecting a bad and good person aren't always the best." Rin felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. "On top of losing, maybe that's why I wasn't cut for protagonist material at all."

"Heh, well, let's test it out then." Vince suggested, looking smug. "Do the Gunstringer and I look like 'wicked ones' to you? I'll give you a hint, skele-puppet over there is out for revenge."

Pausing again, Rin tried to focus her attention on the two of them. "No. You haven't made any threats at me. The other guy though… he's scary, but who did you want revenge on?"

"My posse, who betrayed me and left me for dead. None of 'em are particularly pleasant people, mind ya. Not that it stops the miko over there from thinkin' I'm up to nothin' good." The Gunstringer answered. He hated talking about that, but it maybe Rin would understand it better than Reimu normally would.

"I think a more important question on my mind is, you mentioned an angel upon capturing us." Glacius pointed out, Madotsuki even nodding in agreement. "They said you would become the main character for doing this, who were they?"

She folded her arms in a defensive manner. "L-leave my angel out of this! He was the only one who showed me any love during my years of isolation!"

"Your… angel?" Caela looked dumbfounded.

"Miss, we do not plan to antagonize this person, we just simply want his name." Jack Walters tried to keep calm. Sure, the situation was weird, but he might as well keep his more stable character in order to get answers. After all, he was a detective.

"Sam, my um, boyfriend." Rin's face went as red as the cherries in her hair, having to cover herself up with her own sleeves.

Vince and Kazooie both glanced at Sam Fisher, who was in the room. "I don't know why you two are looking at me, I'm pretty certain this is a different guy." Fisher said to them.

"He's kind of a dainty boy for an angel, and told me that if I wanted to be a proper heroine unlike Reimu, I would have to beat up youkai and dispose of all of the other main characters. Since he's an angel, and one who acted like a guardian to me and a couple others, I—"

"An angel named Sam?" Jack Walters interrupted her. "As in, Samael?" She nodded in response. This definitely showed that Rin couldn't sense wickedness in everyone. "I'm not sure if all of you know, especially the more eastern characters like yourself, but in lore, Samael translates to 'venom of god' and such. He's described as not being a good angel."

"W-what!?" Rin then covered herself up further. "I don't believe you! He's just a small angel, not a bad man! He's sweet, and tries to cheer me up, how can you say that he's a bad angel?"

"The fact maybe he told you to eliminate others so you can be the hero? That sounds pretty bad!" Caela retorted. "Right Walters?"

Thinking over the facts, there just weren't enough of them. "I'm not the most mentally sound detective, but I can easily say we don't know enough about him to say much. For all we know, it could be an angel with an unfortunate name, or he has a soft spot for this girl."

Reimu was lost in thought as they kept chattering. The fact the one who sent Rin was an angel, who was also speaking ill of the shrine maiden… it almost pointed to being connected to another angel, with a similar name.

—

"It better be somewhere around here. That sleeping one and the angel better not have been fooling us."

"There wouldn't be any reason for that, unless we were disposable to the others. And I, am clearly not."

He tried not to laugh at the anglerfish's remark. Still, it was pathetic that they were out to do a fetch quest, originally, they were going to attack along with the monster they had up their sleeve, but now it seemed they had to go into Lowee with stealth.

All because of that human. They were all notified about it, and could not risk bringing attention… just yet.

Entering the ruins of the valley, both of them were cautious, making sure no one else was present. It wouldn't mean much for the dome-headed character, as he could fight back with ease. The fish, on the other hand, not so much.

Their mission was to find a ring. One that only sorcerers could break the seal of.

Just take the ring, then they could start causing havoc afterwards. Particularly, with the monster they had on their side.

"There it is!" Chuckling, the anglerfish attempted to reach the ring, inside of a box that was on top of a stand. Unfortunately, they were too short, and ended up reaching for it comically.

"… Do you need help with that?"

"No!" They stubbornly replied.

This was going to take a while…

—

Michael managed to get everyone out of the Icicle Mountain with his newfound power, keeping them safe from the avalanche. Even Sabre, who had been caught by Donkey Kong after attempting to flee.

Needless to say, Blanc was ticked off.

Ambushing her beloved mascots, and nearly endangering them along with Michael, was something she didn't let slide so easily.

And she was already cursing up a storm, ready to beat the hell out of Sabre. The others thankfully held her back.

"You replaced my spot as protagonist with the guy who's only meant to fly in a plane! Is it any wonder Adventures got so much backlash!?" Sabre growled. Master Hand continued to hold the furious Blanc, who had now transformed into White Heart.

"Hey now, it was still a good, polished game in my opinion." Michael stated, trying to reason with Sabre.

"Sure, nailing in Star Fox elements at what? The last second? All the good plot twists cut out, in favor of a bad one with that giant ape head? Along with cutting down Krystal's role to the beginning? Actually, I don't mind that part, since my father ditched me to raise that—"

"Rare didn't have much time to set everything up, and neither did Nintendo!" Michael finally snapped. "If Microsoft didn't buy out Rare, I bet you it would feel more finished!"

It was good that Caela wasn't there, otherwise it would probably spiral into a completely different argument on Rareware being bought.

"This is kinda true actually." Samus confirmed, as the others stood in silence. "A few companies were out to nab Rare, so they only had a little bit of time to complete that game, and that meant a lot of content getting cut during it being changed. For all we know, in what could have been for the final product, maybe you would have been there."

"I doubt it." Sabre grumbled. Both him and Blanc had calmed down a bit. It seemed Michael's defensive stance on Nintendo actually prevented a fight for once. Hopefully it lasted too.

"Listen, Sabre," Fox said, "I'm really sorry that happened. It's not the first time Lowee and Leanbox made a deal to rearrange things. One of Donkey Kong's friends and that one bear in Leanbox would tell you. I don't want to be your enemy over this."

What was Sabre supposed to believe anymore?

Lowee, Leanbox, and Fox McCloud has technically taken away everything he was going to have.

His father had left him behind, and destroyed a village, and began to raise another child instead out of guilt.

Unlike Madi and Rin, Sabre didn't trust the ones who gave him the mission to get revenge.

The plot sounded as if he would follow in his father's footsteps. Something he did not want, but chose to do anyway.

"Sabre, was it? Who put you up to this?" Master Hand questioned.

No response.

He was far into wondering what decision he should make now.

"Lady Blanc! We're under attack!" Meta-Knight announced, entering the room very suddenly. "The Basilicom and several residents are being targeted!"

"What!? Why the hell can't anyone leave us alone for two goddamn seconds? Was this your doing!?" Blanc hissed at Sabre, causing Master Hand to tighten his grip on her again.

"I'm guessing some of them are here now." Sabre laughed, in an exhausted manner. "Basically, I'm not the only one with beef against Lowee, or Fox for that matter."

"Who are our attackers!?" Mario asked, adjusting his hat.

"Someone made of paper, with a dome on his head, and a lich." Meta-Knight explained to them, Kirby now joining him, as if he had also witnessed it.

"That sounds like Sir Grodus!" Michael exclaimed. "I thought he was done causing trouble by the end of Paper Mario 2. Why is he attacking?!"

They all hurried outside, except for Sabre. It was true, Sir Grodus, accompanied by a skeletal creature in a purple robe, were attacking whatever Lowee residents came running at them.

"Dear me," the Lich sighed, "it seems that none of these imbeciles can hold up against us. I suppose the others down there are to thank for it." He spoke in a overly posh sort of way, and towered over Cloud Strife. "Even I could dispose of this overly popular hero. He really holds no candle to the ones I had faced long ago. I wonder how in the world the likes of him got into Smash."

As the Lich zapped Cloud with another lightning-element attack, Michael could only watch in horror.

"One of the four fiends from Final Fantasy too? What the heck kind of plotting is this!? First Sabre, and now…"

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of thousands of stomps. He turned to see a huge army of X-Nauts heading towards them. And with Cloud almost taken down, they were seriously at a current disadvantage. His mind reeling, he was trying to think of anything useful when he remembered a fact about undead foes in the Final Fantasy series. And from that, he found the focus needed to formulate a plan.

Lich was about to burn Cloud to finish him off, when Link showed up and blocked the fire with his shield. But then "Link" turned into Mewtwo, using his telekinesis to carry Cloud to safety. Back in the Basilicom with everyone else, he began to tell his plan.

"Lich is vulnerable to fire attacks. Characters who have significant fire attacks should concentrate on him. I think Mario, Samus, and Charizard are best for this. The rest of us will handle Grodus and his army, and join up with you to finish up Lich. Any questions?"

Either no one had any, or they knew that there was no time to ask any. They were at a wall, and had to go with something. Some of them already had some trust for Michael from his actions on Icicle Mountain, so they were willing to give the plan a try. "OK, Mario, you take the others and head for the Lich. And as for the army, Donkey Kong, lead the charge."

Donkey Kong thumped his chest with tremendous force before charging at the army before them, already taking out at least twenty with one swing of his huge arms. But it barely made a dent in the advance, for the army had the clear advantage in terms of numbers. But any video game character, not just in Nintendo, can tell you that fighting armies is pretty common to the point of it being a hobby. So Donkey Kong's charge and Michael's confidence just got the others pumped. Donkey Kong wasn't alone out there for long as the others joined him.

Sonic, being the fastest, hit first, sending X-Nauts flying, using his speed to evade attacks. Using a series of homing attacks, he drove a straight line through their ranks, the moment getting to his head a little, not noticing the X-Naut behind.

At least, not until Meta-Knight blocked the attack and used his twister attack to clear some room. "Don't be so reckless. This basically an act of war."

Sonic just huffed as he returned to the fight, barely noticing the sound of jet engines. Fox had actually doubled back to the hanger to get his ship and was now attacking from the air. He was taking out whole groups when he heard a thump on the cockpit. "Now you weren't thinking of leaving me out of the fun, were you?" Bayonetta said with a playful smile at Fox before jumping off, landing with guns blazing, taking out a whole unit and making enough room to summon a demon which proceeded to take out large amounts of soldiers at once.

Michael was looking over the battlefield, feeling hopeful at the progress they were making. "Looks good, but we need to make a strike at their leader. If we take him out, the X-Nauts will lose their guiding intelligence, and be that much easier to handle. Link! Captain Falcon! Pikachu! With me!"

Watching their movements, Sir Grodus grumbled to himself. "To think someone like me, bringing more action to Lowee's current, bland state would cause this much fury. Either they wish to stay in their boring lives, or they miss such a confrontation… Lord Crump!"

Turning around to face his superior, a purple-clad, larger X-Naut responded. "Buwhat? I mean, yes sir?"

"You better know to contact our…" Grodus sighed, "so-called allies, if this doesn't go as planned. We may unfortunately need a rescue from them."

"Roger that, sir!"

Grodus continued watching Michael. "I wonder… does this one just blindly praise Lowee's CPU and what she does? Or does he know well that whatever life, story, and intriguing obstacles the world of paper we came from, has now been sucked away as of late?"

Michael's group was charging fast at Grodus. Captain Falcon's Falcon Punches and Pikachu's Thunderbolts were clearing the way fast, as well as Michael taking the form of a Koopa, using the shell strike to spearhead straight through. And luckily, unlike Koopas, he was able to stop, for when he did, a blast of magic hit the ground just inches from him. "Curses, I missed."

Michael changed into Mega Man, sticking to ranged attacks to make it easier to dodge and keep Grodus off balance. Link joined in with his arrows. Pikachu tried to help, but had difficulty getting in a clear shot with Michael and Link moving around. And whenever Captain Falcon tried to get close he kept getting knocked back. "I think this guy's showing his moves a little too much."

"Then let's show him some new moves. I have an idea. Listen….."

A minute later, Grodus was almost taken off guard by the sudden appearance of Ridley. But he smirked, knowing that it was the outsider, and that it only made him a bigger target. Grodus took aim for his head and fired, but Michael changed back, shrinking in the process, and causing the shot to miss. But that wasn't the only surprise. When Ridley disappeared, Captain Falcon appeared from his hiding place behind him, with Pikachu on his hand, fully charged. And too close to not miss.

" **THUNDER….FALCOOOONN…..PUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNCH!"**

Grodus was able to block with his arm, but the combined force of Captain Falcon's punch and Pikachu's thunder still dealt significant damage. His arm hung uselessly as his clothes were shredded, showing only mechanical parts. "Aha!"

Grodus turned to Michael in a quizzical manner. "Aha what?"

"That robot body makes the situation make sense. Near the end of your game, your body was nearly destroyed leaving only your head behind. And knowing your keen intellect, making a mechanical body is the only logical outcome."

Grodus was silent for a few moments, before he spoke. "Yes it's true. I was left alone with barely a body to live in. And to make it worse, I was soon forgotten after that. To be featured in only one game, put into such a state, and then left for more 'memorable' characters? NO! I won't accept it!" He began to charge an attack with his remaining arm. "I will make you all know my pain. Prepare to taste -"

"PUNCH!"

 _WHAM!_ "Gah! How dare you interrupt -"

"PUNCH!"

 _WHAM!_ "Stop that you -"

"PUNCH!"

 _WHAM!_ "No….."

"PUNCH!"  
 _WHAM!_  
"PUNCH!"  
 _WHAM!_  
"PUNCH!"  
 _WHAM!_

It had to take both Link and Michael to calm Captain Falcon down, who was enjoying his new move a little too much. When he calmed down somewhat, Michael walked over to Grodus to see if he was all right after taking such a beating. Fortunately, he was still conscious, but obviously unable to move for the time being. Michael then looked around to see there was any effect.

Thankfully, there was. At the sight of their leader getting taken down, the X-Nauts were unable to know their next move, giving the biggest opportunity for the Smashers. And seeing Captain Falcon and Pikachu's combo attack gave them some ideas. Diddy Kong jumped on Donkey Kong's back, shooting enemies behind him while DK punched the ones in front of them.

Kirby used his suction power to draw the soldiers closer and easier to get clobbered by Little Mac. Mewtwo and Lucario fused their Aura powers together for more damage, and Pac-Man and Olimar combined forces with the Ghosts and Pikmin to surround entire groups, allowing ambushes from the Fire Emblem characters to take them down. King Dedede and the Ice Climbers basically turned it into a smashing contest with their hammers.

Glad to see that they were doing all right, Michael left to see how the fire attack squad was doing against Lich.

Mario had been flicking fireballs at Lich, but he had casted Haste on himself, then used a sleeping spell on Charizard. The fire-type Pokémon had fallen asleep just like that. "Eugh, you thought a mere lizard could go against me? I'm disgusted! Keep your animals on a leash, why don't you?"

Attempting to use another lightning spell, he struck Charizard, doubling the damage since he was a flying-type as well. "We can't endanger Charizard like this, we need to act faster, or he's toast!" Samus exclaimed, clearly worried about the battle.

Mario then looked at one of the fireballs he flung, then at Samus. "I got it! Samus, coil into your morph ball mode!" She did exactly that. "I'm-a gonna fling you over to that bony fellow, okey-dokey? Then, you do more damage!"

"Uh, that sounds kind of absurd." Samus replied, being unsure of the idea. "I mean, you can try it but—"

" _ **Morph Fireball Bomb! Here we goooo!"**_

Without hearing anything else Samus had to say, Mario picked Samus up while activating one of his fireballs, and bounced her across the field. Lich didn't even notice them, as he was focused on making Charizard faint.

The moment he saw them, his face was met with the flaming Morph Ball. "Aiyeee! N-not my robes!" Lich screamed. Samus followed it up by using her Morph Ball bombs, which created a fiery explosion.

" _Dual Erupting Flare Blades!"_ Mario, and the Samus who drew back, saw both Ike and Roy running towards each other, with Lich in between. However, the Lich saw it coming this time, and snapped his fingers just as the two could charge their swords and clash.

"Hmph! Ambush attacks, what are you? Petty rogues?" He sighed and shook his head. "Where is the beauty in such a fight…? Earthquake!"

The ground began to shake beneath the five, Lich truly though he had a bit of an advantage now with them shaken up.

Before he could do more damage, a piercing feeling went through his chest. The Lich winced, the pain was heavy, going to do him in any moment, and he knew was it was.

It was holy. Or to be more precise, it was a Light Arrow.

"Who…!?" He looked around, until he saw Princess Zelda from a distance, who had found a Smash Ball, broken it, and used her Final Smash on the Lich to finish him off.

There wasn't anything more he could do. The Lich was cornered, and soon to return to the depths of the earth he came from.

"Oh dear… knowing Marilith, she won't taken my defeat very well." The Lich chuckled, while turning to ash. "Oh well. Your dirty tactics aside, I suppose you think you won. It isn't over though, if anything, this is the start for all of you."

With those last words, his physical form was gone, nothing but dust left behind.

Lord Crump noticed how things had calmed down it seemed on the other side of the battlefield too. "Oh man, this isn't good, looks like we're gonna have to be saved."

"Nice!" Michael cheered, worried for a moment that he had to step in. Sir Grodus was trying to edge away, but everyone else noticed it.

"Don't you dare think of getting away— Ugh!" Captain Falcon was then fired at by spacecraft of some kind, followed by a serpent-shaped warship.

Michael looked at it, remembering it from one of the Star Fox games. "The ZaZanga 9 and the Arrow Head? Then that means… The Anglar Emperor?" It was the last villain Michael expected to be involved in all this, but it was true, as the warship draw closer.

It landed, nearly running over Link and Pikachu, forcing them to run away from the scene.

"Oh, poor you, and you thought your little army didn't need my help." The short anglerfish taunted Grodus, both him and Lord Crump feeling insulted. One of the ships hatches opened up, allowing them to enter. "Zazan, cover us while these two have to run away with my help."

"Enough chatter! Get us out of here!" Sir Grodus snapped as he entered. Michael and the others tried to stop them, but the ZaZanga 9 was locked onto them, firing warning shots so they would back off. Several X-Nauts joined in on boarding to escape.

Several questions were going through Michael's mind. First Sabre, then Sir Grodus, and now the Anglar Emperor. It was such an odd combination, and there was definitely a pattern. He couldn't change shape and give chase in the air if he wanted to either, otherwise he would be shot down by the ZaZanga 9 surely.

"Now what?" Captain Falcon wondered.

There wasn't much that could be done, other than report back to Blanc and Master Hand, who probably were more focused on the defenses of the Basilicom.

—

"That Nick fella is somethin' else, y'know." The man puffing his cigar looked into the crystal ball, still amazed at the damage. "I guess we gotta be careful when goin' up to Lastation, huh?"

"Michael didn't really do that, I'm kinda disappointed, but I guess maybe it's because Grodus and the Emperor didn't specifically target the Basilicom and the CPUs just then." The wizard said, twiddling his thumbs. "I was so looking forward to him being absolutely bonkers! Why, I almost want to try and push that blonde girl to—"

"Don't do that." The sleepy woman mumbled.

"Hey, Dark Champ, make sure you open the gate for those two to get her sooner." The Dark Champion rolled his eyes at the angel. He had to pull away from Planeptune for a short while, making the excuse that he wanted to check on the balance of the nations for a short moment.

Snapping a portal open in the icy domain, the large warship flew in along with the spacecraft. "By the way, Dark Champ, how's the outsider in Planeptune?"

"I thought of finding her weaknesses. I must assume when they are in the forms of other characters, they are vulnerable, but watching that battle between the one boy and that robot gave me an idea," the Dark Champion smiled, "why not have her join our forces, Samael? If she has the same abilities, and we persuade her to help us, we will be unstoppable! She very well understands the plights of being forgotten from what I have noticed."

The angel, Samael, paused. "I didn't check on that one too much, is she cute? Cute girls only, y'know!"

For a brief moment, Samael flicked his tongue out… which was notably forked, like a snake.

"Cute?" The Dark Champion looked unamused, and puzzled by his remark.

"Yeah! Like the qilin, Marilith… Tiamat's a dragon, she doesn't count. Madi sorta is, and…"

Samael then looked at the Anglar Emperor, who was about to report the situation with Sir Grodus and hand the ring over. The angel decided to not speak about biological matters right there, since the Dark Champion could already tell what he was thinking.

"Advancing on Natalie will only hinder things, Samael. I suggest that if we convince her to join us, you try to hold yourself back."

"When you word it like that, then that must mean she's absolutely cute. Then I approve of your plan! No promises though if I get too friendly…"

The wizard slammed his fists on the table, disturbing the princess's nap. "Who cares about your 'cute girl'? We should be talking about our next target! I WANT REVENGE ON THAT - !"

The princess, suddenly alert, grabbed the wizard by the collar and had a very dark look in her eye. "Disturb my sleep again, and you won't even live to regret it." The wizard started to get scared, never seeing the princess like this, and was scared of what she was going to do to him.

"Now, now, let's all calm down." Samael clapped his hands slowly to settle the mood. "We have to work together, after all. Oh, I know! A teambuilding exercise! You two will go to the next nation we have marked for invasion, and are welcome to bring whoever you need for it! Hopefully this will work out your differences!"

"Or at least bring some amusement for me." He said that last part for himself, not really caring if they succeeded or not as long as the goals are met. The wizard and princess just glared at each other for a minute, but knew that orders were orders, and left to gather the forces necessary to attack. "While they're dealing with that, let's ask a serious question: what kind of villainous force would we be, if didn't take full advantage of Lastation's situation? Let's plan an attack for them right now!"

"Leave that to me." The man with the cigar said. "I owe y'one for busting me out, and I've been waiting for an opportunity at get back at the one who put me there."

"Very well, since you've got the motivation, I leave it to you. Less work for me, anyway!" The man almost bit his cigar in half because he wasn't sure if he was just insulted or not.

"What about me? Should I join in the attack as well?"

"No, no. I want you to go ahead and get the girl you were talking about to our side. You're welcome to bring her here to the hideout. Or even my room if you feel like it…." The Dark Champion silently gagged, and made a note to not let Natalie out of Planeptune for the time being.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

 **Mayhem of Magicians**

It had been a while since they brought Rin Satsuki inside. She seemed to have been warming up a little better to the others— those that weren't Reimu, anyway.

Good fortune and healing came from her erhu it turned out. An instrument with two strings, it had magical capabilities of some kind, probably because she was a reincarnation of a qilin and all.

Conker, who had been sitting outside and drinking beer cans, looked across the way, seeing several characters, neither of which he recognized.

The woman with red hair, placed a ring on the ground, using some form of magic enchantment. "You… you're unsealed now. You will help us, the forgotten party." She mumbled, as the wizard stood alongside her.

Awakening from the ring was a blog of darkness that formed, having a purple cloth around his whole body almost, and a single, glowing red eye.

Last he could remember, he was sealed away by Cia; the dark sorceress, for betraying her one times too many.

Wizzro, the twisted wizard, was unleashed once again.

"My new masters," he cackled, "for freeing me, I shall do whatever it is you tell me! What are your orders?"

"Attack the Basilicom." The princess ordered.

Conker had no idea what was going on all the way over there, but it didn't look good. Stumbling back inside, he had to warn Vert, and fast.

"YOU! SQUIRREL!" Conker felt himself getting pulled back by an invisible force towards the wizard with the starry robe. "At last we meet, like we should have long ago!"

"I'm sorry, actually, not so sorry, but who are you?"

The wizard just stared in disbelief and rage. "Who am I? WHO AM I? You have the nerve to ask me take that! The one who was supposed to be your nemesis?! The one and only - what is that warm feeling?" He looked down at a darkened spot on his robes and then remembered a certain part in Conker's game….

"You…..you dare….YOU SICK RAT!" With a powerful shockwave, he blasted Conker towards the Basilicom, where he crashed through a window and onto a table where the others were talking. "Oh my God Conker! Are you all right?" Conker groggily got up. "Guys…...I think…...we're under…..attack." He then collapsed due to the stress and being currently drunk. Caela looked out the window. "He's right, there are three people who look like they're ready to attack. One looks familiar, but I don't know the other two."

Banjo looked out the window. "The one in the star-covered robe is Hoodlums. He was supposed to be an enemy in Conker's games."

"You mean back when Conker was kid-friendly." Kazooie chirped before a blast of magic almost hit her head. "Why is it you remember me and not the rat?! I was supposed to be the one who tormented him, but then people just had to complain of how 'cute' the game looked, so they increased the vulgarity and replace me with a panther! But now I have the power to get the spot I deserve! Wizzro, attack! See to it they can't escape!"

Wizzro spun his hands, making hideous, one-eyed snakes come out of nowhere and surround the Basilicom. Glacius was quick to fill up the broken window with ice so they couldn't get in, but it didn't change the fact that they were trapped. Panic was starting to set in some of them.

"Prepare yourselves! We must defend the Basilicom and Mistress Vert!"

"Gee, like none a' us thought a' that. One question, Buckeroo, how do we do it when we're currently like fish in a barrel?"

"He seems most interested in Conker? Why not give him to them? That might calm him down."

"No Vince, Conker's my friend, and I'm not betraying him."

"Not that we speak to him much, he's just one of our fellow Rare characters. Gotta look out for each other, you know!"

"Be quiet Kazooie."

"BRAINS!"

Everyone turned to see Stubbs the Zombie shambling towards them with a hungry look in his eye. "OK, who let 'im loose?" The Gunstringer took aim. "It doesn't matter, let's just take 'im down. That'll solve at least one problem."

"WAIT!" Caela blocked Gunstringer's pistol. "I think this can help us get the moment we need." Everyone looked at her while she tried to talk to Stubbs.

"Hey, you hungry?"

"Brains."

"I know where you can get some tasty brains."

"Brains?"

"Yeah, tasty brains that can also lead to cool minions. How does that sound?"

"Brains!"

"Good! They're right outside the door here. Bon appetit!"

Stubbs walked out, only to get attacked by the snakes. He was taken off guard by this, and with his already slow movement, the snakes quickly wrapped around him. He struggled, but while doing so, he started to pick up a strange smell from the serpents, one that smelled a little tempting. Wanting to know more, he readied himself, and let loose with one of his mega farts, scaring the snakes off and allowing Stubbs to grab one and feast.

The taste was a little weird, but that was the least of it. Apparently, the dark magic that the snakes were made off were scaringly compatible with the dark nature of the zombie, making him stronger, and able to eat more snake brains, and have more zombie snake minions.

"What? How is this possible? My serpents being destroyed by a undead fool? This is - what are you looking at?" The snakes that Stubbs zombified were looking at the villains with a very hungry look in their eye. "This won't do. I won't allow it. Serpents! Gather here and defend us!"

"Now, while he's recalling the snakes, sneak out the back way!" Everyone left the Basilicom in a hurried manner, and then split into two groups: one to lead away any civilians, and one to deal with the attackers. "So, now that we're out, how do we fight 'em?"

Caela turned to address the group present. "I have an idea. Stubbs suddenness gave me it. We need to break their strategy down in ways that they can't suspect and ruin their focus. Here's my plan….."

"Wait," Jack Walters interrupted, "where did Rin go?"

Everyone soon realized that Rin Satsuki had left.

They saw her, approaching Hoodlums no less. "Oh great," the Gunstringer tilted his hat slightly, "I'll stop 'er, maybe I'll be 'sudden' enough… Furball! You better be comin' with me to help me with that wizard!"

Conker rubbed his eyes, still tired. "What about everyone else?"

"We can deal with it, though if something gets too hectic—" Reimu soon saw that the Gunstringer didn't even give her the time of day to finish that sentence. Neither did Conker.

Flying over to the wizard, Rin looked optimistic more than anything. "Hoodlums! Wait for me!" He winced at the girl calling out his name, in a happy matter too, more than anything else. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to help me become the protagonist? This is kind of…"

"Stay out of this, your use ran out!"

"My use?" Rin wondered aloud, not sure what he meant. "Does Sammy miss me? Is that why you're all so hostile? I think attacking Leanbox's Basilicom is just a bit much is all. I know we have a lot in common…" Rin then smiled at him. "And you were the one who helped Sammy band us together, but—"

"No, you imbecile! Firstly, I'm a villain, while you and the other two idiots are heroes. We're completely different! This 'Forgotten Revenge' we have doesn't need you at all!" He snapped, clenching his fists furiously. "Secondly, this isn't about you at all, or that laid back angel! You failed, now get out of the way!"

"Why are you being rude? This doesn't make any sense." Rin gave a concerned look, completely oblivious as to what Hoodlums was getting at. Running out of patience and not wanting to spell it out, Hoodlums began firing balls of magic energy at Rin, startling her.

The click of a revolver was heard.

"Buddy, I don't take kindly to those who backstab their partners." The Gunstringer pointed his two revolvers at the wizard, while Conker finally got his baseball bat out. "So I suggest ya do a nice magic trick, that involves makin' yerself disappear. Otherwise, Furball and I here will do it for ya."

While Conker and the Gunstringer dealt with Hoodlums, more of the serpents were being disposed of. Kameo had transformed into Chilla to throw some of them back at Wizzro. Something he didn't know they would do. Frank West was using a sniper rifle to get them from a distance, Sam Fisher thought of planning on sneak attack on Wizzro from behind, and Reimu's bombs were more than enough to blow some of them away.

"Keh, these weirdos aren't the kind of thing I'm used to. Where are all the soldiers, and magic-users!? Moreover, there's hero in green running around… Is this the part where I summon it now!?"

Without an answer, Wizzro threw his hands up, casting a giant ball of darkness. "Here you go! Heeeheehee!" Everyone drew back for a moment, as a rather large creature was summoned.

She had the upper half of a human, six arms on her body, while the lower half was that of a snake. Her hair was a brownish-red, and she carried swords in all six hands.

"I am Marilith, the fiend of fire." She hissed, raising her arms. "I have been summoned to cause havoc, which I shall gladly do to avenge my fallen friend!… Where shall I attack?"

Directing her, Wizzro soon began thinking about the circumstances. "So I have you under my control for the time being?"

"Any sorcerer can summon me." Marilith replied. Wizzro grumbled to himself, realizing that this clearly meant the others had just as much control. All he could do for now was order her to attack the Microsoft characters who were being a pain.

Using a Blaze attack while swinging her swords around, several of the ones who had been taking out the serpents were nearly burned.

"Where did that come from!?" Caela exclaimed. Unlike Nick and Michael, she didn't know much of classic Final Fantasy, just the newer titles. She had been trying to take Wizzro by surprise, by having a majority of characters sneak into the scene as she planned, but he had a counterattack after all.

Glacius sighed. "Sending a creature who prides in flames after us is not exactly wise. This poor wizard truly has no idea what he's doing. I shall deal with that creature, continue focusing on him."

"Say, Kazooie, do you and Banjo still use ice eggs?" Vince asked, looking a bit smug.

"Are… are you asking us to go out there and help Glacius?" Banjo gulped in response, not liking the idea of it.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Kazooie replied, not caring about the dangers in the slightest. "We could always turn the cheats on, to be invincible—"

"Kazooie!"

During all of this, Caela transformed into Kameo, knowing well that she was out there on the field. She had a plan, and it would be very easy to pull off against Wizzro.

He was practically a fish out of water. A Lowee character, in Leanbox. Fooling around with him was going to be enjoyable.

Running out of the Basilicom, as much as Vert urged her to stay behind, Wizzro instantly took notice that one Kameo was standing next to another, trying to avoid Marilith's fiery attacks. He was confused, but kept focusing his attention on Captain Smiley, firing streams of magic at him.

At the corner of his eye, he then saw two Ichigos running by. Wizzro slowly grinned, much to Caela's confusion. "Why isn't he concerned about seeing two?" She wondered aloud, going from being the young cat-girl, to Frank West, and then Dust.

Wizzro began floating away from her, as if urging Caela to follow. He went behind Marilith, right while Banjo and Glacius were facing her. Caela decided to pursue him.

Her eyes then widened at the sight. There was more than one Glacius.

"How!?" Caela changed back to normal, noticing that one of the icy aliens before her lacked in the usual, blue and white coloring, almost looking pale.

Knowing well that Caela could probably tell the difference, Wizzro changed back to normal. "You thought you could trick me by trying to be someone's double, did you? It was a nice idea, but the problem is, I can do the same exact thing… Marilith! Entice the bear!"

Attempting to charm Banjo, Marilith winked, inflicting confusion onto Banjo. Kazooie began pecking his head in hopes of snapping him out of it. Glacius attempted to strike Marilith, but found himself attacked by Wizzro's dark magic.

Caela didn't know which one to focus on. If she attacked Marilith, Wizzro would prevent her, and if struck Wizzro, Marilith would sweep her to the side sooner.

Wizzro felt a tug on his cloth. He glanced at whoever was behind him, seeing it was Madotsuki. "What's this? Someone leave their child here? You people sure are irresponsible— Gyeh!?"

A stabbing feeling went through his body. The little girl, whose eyes looked closed, had tried to stab him, and succeeding in doing so.

"G-get off me!" Wizzro panicked, pulling away from Madotsuki, who activated the Cat Effect. Caela took the chance to turn into Joanna Dark, and pointed a Devastator at him.

With him out of the way, Glacius could work on getting rid of Marilith, especially once Banjo snapped out of it. It became one-sided very quickly, since Glacius had a whole body made of icy liquid.

During all of this, the Gunstringer and Conker had Hoodlums on the ropes. He used several magic attacks against them, constantly swearing in the process, but the Gunstringer moved so fast, while Conker simply jumped around most of them.

"Damn you! Stand there, so I can kill you already!" Hoodlums spat. He was met with a round of bullets going through his hat as a response, and a nut from Conker's slingshot being pelted in his eye.

He screamed out more infuriated cuss words at them, running low on stamina. His expression instantly changed though, as the Gunstringer drew closer to him along with Conker. "Heheh, ignoring that rat for a second, I almost wasn't sure who you were, puppet."

"What're ya on about now, magic-man?" The Gunstringer only came closer, not missing a beat in his footsteps.

"You're the bonehead that got betrayed by his pals, aren't you?" That was when the Gunstringer's movements stopped.

How did Hoodlums know about that?

"Samael has gotten pretty chummy with them, your posse that is." Hoodlums taunted, knowing he was grinding the old puppet's gears already. "Crowds like them are a blast for him, you know. Shame you aren't invited—"

Clocking him over the head with a frying pan, Hoodlums dropped an F-bomb at Conker, who didn't seem to care about what he was talking about. The Gunstringer was getting ready to grab the wizard by the collar, wanting to shake Hoodlums around before strangling him, just to get answers.

" _ **Cosmic Ray!"**_

Both of them had their actions interrupted by a gleam of light, blinding the Gunstringer and Conker, also flinging them across the ground from how massive the magic force was.

"Hoodlums, you can't even make a good fight against two people…?" The princess mumbled, floating from above them all. "What good are you? Even Rin Satsuki could trap several characters. Step aside please." She spoke drowsily to him, yet it was intimidating enough for Hoodlums, especially after last time.

"W-wait, let me kill the rat at least, I need to have my revenge on him!"

Conker just stared up at the princess. She was rather beautiful, the nearly closed eyes reminding him of how Madotsuki was always in a sleep-like state though. "Now uh, whom do I have the pleasure of chatting with?" He asked, trying to be polite somewhat for once.

"Umm… oh, this is the Sleeping Princess you're speaking to," she mumbled, "a sorceress locked in a tower, who slept for years. Anyway, would you like to be sent to your graves?"

Neither of them understood why she was speaking in third person. Hoodlums could only sulk, knowing that a superior user of sorcery was probably going to take over for him. "Been there before," the Gunstringer replied, "don't plan on goin' back anytime soon."

"You don't have a choice." The princess raised an eyelid open somewhat, giggling. Raising her staff, which had a skull on the top of it, she prepared her next attack.

Ichigo watched the scene from a distance, horrified at the sudden appearance of the sleepy sorceress. She began speeding over to Caela, who was still firing the Devastator at a panicked Wizzro, while Madotsuki constantly tried to drag him back with the Cat Effect. He couldn't understand why it was impossible to escape, and was tempted to warp as soon as he got enough distance.

Marilith was practically finished despite the low numbers against her. Glacius proved to be too much, while Banjo and Kazooie were perfect back-up.

"It's… too cold!" She hissed, feeling her body cool down, steam coming out of her, the icy attacks forcing her to melt. Marilith tried one last to to use a Blaze attack, but it was futile, reduced to nothing but a burst of flames that was cut short before it could do damage to anyone.

"Oh what a world, what a world." Kazooie joked. Marilith was done for, and now they could worry about—

"Guuuuuys!" Ichigo mewed, getting their attention, including Caela's. "Some weird lady just showed up! Conker and the Gunstringer might be in danger!"

Wizzro warped away from them, able to pull away from Madotsuki and Caela finally. He then reappeared next to the Sleeping Princess. "I'm afraid Marilith failed, my lady. Your arrival was much needed!"

"Think nothing of it… You did an excellent job distracting them." She raised her staff, towering over the defeated Conker and Gunstringer, much to Hoodlums' chagrin.

"Who the heck are you!?" Caela demanded to know, before the Sleeping Princess could start anything. "What game are you from!?"

"Secret of Elysium, of the Madou Monogatari series."

Caela blinked in confusion. Madou Monogatari was… something brought up once. Mainly when Natalie was mildly disappointed over something called Sorcery Saga, which got a western release unlike the "original titles". Nick ended up pre-ordering the Vita game because of that.

Either way, sounded like an obscure Windows game, one that somehow must have slipped Caela's radar.

"Is that you have to say, outsider? Or are you going to strike me with all you have. Otherwise, "I shall bring down this place of worship, known as Leanbox's Basilicom, and the CPU shall…"

Lowering her head, the Sleeping Princess briefly fell asleep, Wizzro gently shook her, so she would wake up again. "Ah! They shall join it in the destruction." She gave a tired, yet evil grin, knowing fully well what she was doing.

Pure silence, as Caela felt chills shiver down her spine.

This sorceress wanted to destroy the Basilicom? Along with Vert?

"S-Sleepy Princess?" Rin stammered, unsure what to think of such a threat.

"I bet you they think you're bluffing," Wizzro sneered, "why not show them you really mean it?" Hoodlums had a feeling he knew what was coming next, whether the Sleeping Princess decided to go through with what she said or not.

"Very well… Meteor Show—"

"NO!"

Body glowing, Caela slammed her fist at the Sleeping Princess's body. Not even flinching from the attack, the Sleeping Princess was met with enough force to send her across quite a distance.

Wizzro was absolutely stunned, but Hoodlums chuckled at the turn of events. "So much for you hoping to not wanting me to send that one into an insane fury, huh?" The Sleeping Princess, once again, didn't react at the insults added to injury.

Caela's appearance greatly changed, once the glow finally faded away. She was carrying a Spartan Laser in her hands. Part of her body became decayed, and open like Stubbs, having visible organs. Reimu's yin-yang orbs surrounded Caela as well.

"Are you done increasing your power to suit mine?" The Sleeping Princess wasn't surprised, knowing very well that Caela was capable of this, as was Hoodlums. Everyone else was in utter shock however. She even yawned at Caela, being as laid back as ever. "Let us begin."

She didn't even want the princess's permission, firing the Spartan Laser at her, only to be greeted by a large, magical barrier. Caela knew to dispose of it with the Homing Amulets, as one of Reimu's abilities included manipulation of barriers after all.

"I… didn't anticipate that." The Sleeping Princess mumbled, realizing she was a bit more open. "Meteor Shower!"

Several meteors came crashing down. Nearly everyone evacuated the area just before the brawl started, thankfully.

Caela changed her weapons to Captain Smiley's guns, blasting every meteor that came at her, and then 'Splosion Man's arms to use the shockwaves to blow the rubble back at the Sleeping Princess. The Sleeping Princess blasted it away with another Cosmic Ray, clearing the battlefield yet again. Caela outfitted herself with the Gears of War chainsaw gun and the enhanced legs of the Crackdown Agent, ready for speed. The Sleeping Princess didn't show any signs of slowing down either, already charging up another spell. It looked like it would be a fight that would carry on for a while…..

"BRAINS!"

The entire area became overrun with zombie snakes, attracted by the powerful magic being used, and Stubbs by the smell of brains. And what was scarier was that Stubbs gained enough power that he could actually run instead of shamble. But hopefully not climb, has Caela was hoping.

"Quick! To the trees!" Caela and the other characters went up before the snakes could pin them down, and not a moment too soon. Wizzro, now having enough of of the snakes "rebellion", summoned multiple hands to come out of the ground and tear the snakes apart. But then Stubbs tried to eat the hands. Luckily, hands don't have brains, so less minions for him. But it didn't change the fact that it has now become a three-sided battle.

"Nice going, lil' missy!" The Gunstringer snapped. "Any other bright ideas?" Caela looked at the scene knowing she was partially to blame for this. But she was able to think of something quick.

She signaled Sam Fisher to spread the word. "You guys stick to the treetops and contain the battle here. If one side is about to win, attack that side but stay hidden at the same time. As for Stubbs, leave him to me."

Caela jumped down and went for Stubbs, using one of the masks from Dead Rising to blind and taunt him. The bait taken, Stubbs gave chase, leaving his army behind. One that was being taken out quite fast. The snakes were being driven only by their hunger, making them only charge forward, making them all too easy targets. Though the stress of the whole battle was starting to take its toll on Wizzro. Doing two major summons along with various attacks have drained him greatly, and Hoodlums wasn't doing too good either. If it wasn't for the Sleeping Princess, they wouldn't have lasted this long.

They were down to the last to the last few snakes when a propane tank came out of nowhere, blowing up the spellcasters' faces. Frank West nearly high-fived himself for his good aim. This was followed by Gunstringer and Conker doing a joint attack with their guns. "That's right scum, dance!" Madotsuki made it rain to lower visibility, while Sam prepared sniper shots. And with the current attacks, the remaining snakes were getting their second wind, going back on the offensive.

At that moment, the Sleeping Princess looked the most awake she's ever been. "That…..is….enough." The magic gathering around was so intense that the entire area was illuminated. Hoodlums began to run because he knew what was coming.

" **BLACK…. HOLE!"**

Everything surrounding her got drawn to her as she did her attack. The snakes, her allies, the trees, the heroes, everything. Then before anything hit her, everything was repelled, sent flying into uncertain landings. The only good thing was that the falling trees flattened the last few snakes, ending one threat. But it disoriented everyone around her save one.

The area cleared, the Sleeping Princess could now see Caela, who was out of her range and was able to beat Stubbs when he lost his strength along with his army. "You outsiders are an incredible nuisance. Our invasions would have worked if it wasn't for you. You should really be destroyed, yet you hold answers we need. Well, I guess we can always just use the others."

Caela just stood there, trying to understand what she said. She obvious meant some kind of plan, but she couldn't figure it out, only one thing came through, which she already had an answer for.

"Don't…..you even…...think about…. **HURTING MY FRIENDS!"**

Similarly to someone else who had done the same, Caela surrounded herself in a glow, encasing herself in the Hag 1. Banjo was mildly concerned for a moment, wondering how that just happened.

The hatch on the back opened up, cannons were unleashed, and began firing at the Sleeping Princess. With her defenses depleted more and more, the princess finally fell to the ground when the missiles made impact with her body.

She attempted to cast another spell, but Caela emerged from the tank, which depleted into specks of data, the Burning Blade from Too Human now in her hands, as she struck the Sleeping Princess's staff then stabbed her arm.

The sorceress felt a burning pain, but didn't react to it. Caela then traded that in for the Yithian Energy weapon that belonged to Jack Walters. A blast of energy came out, piercing the Sleeping Princess once more.

Her power was depleting more and more, the Sleeping Princess could not think of any other ways to strike back, now that the others were cornering her as well. No matter what, it seemed she would probably be met with more damage to her being.

"N-no, this can't end so soon. I merely let my guard down for just a brief moment, yet…." The Sleeping Princess grunted, her eyes slightly opening and her voice cracking.

"Stop! No!"

Flying past them all, Rin reappeared, playing her erhu during flight.

"Wha…" Frank West was dumbfounded.

"What are…" Ichigo mewed, feeling her stomach drop.

"… you doing!?" Reimu yelled, as the Sleeping Princess's stamina returned to her. Caela could only watch as it happened.

"Sleepy Princess, why are you here? Why would you do something so drastic?" Rin asked.

She was trying her hardest to believe in the Sleeping Princess and Hoodlums, but was definitely feeling torn. Despite that, Rin knew she had to trust in them, even with a more wicked-looking wizard on their side.

All the Sleeping Princess could do was smile innocently. It was obviously fake, but someone like Rin couldn't see it.

"Letting us live to fight another day, huh? You aren't as useless as I thought!" Hoodlums cackled, as the Sleeping Princess got up.

Not daring to attack them again or face Caela anymore, the Sleeping Princess opened up a vortex. "Hoodlums, Wizzro, come. I shall not attempt this again, enough has been weakened. I will not forget this either, outsider."

They all tried to stop the three magic users, only for Rin to block their paths.

"Rin… why did you heal her!? She wanted to destroy the Basilicom!" Caela slowly began to power down, back to her original state.

"B-but she didn't after all of that. She even said she won't try again! I…" Rin trembled, "I wanted to trust them…"

All they could do now was return to the Basilicom, and hope Vert was alright.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

 **Various Means**

Some strange occurrences had been going on that week. Four people went missing.

The brown-haired woman stood next to the young man with blonde hair, confused at the posters. "Do you think zey were kidnapped, Birdie?" She spoke in a french accent, that was obviously fake.

"I'm hoping it's nothing too terrible either… I'm hearing that no matter what, they can't find any traces. It's almost as if they vanished in thin air, just like that after stepping into an alleyway, according to some locals."

The woman couldn't help but find something about that all too bizarre. She began holding her head, as if she had a migraine. "What's wrong? Are you finally remembering something?"

"I feel… I'm not sure." She sighed. It would be great if she could remember anything, especially her own name.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure we'll figure something out." He then looked back at her. "Are you going to time me?"

Taking out a stopwatch, the woman pushed a button, and the young man named Birdie began to jog.

During this though, the woman noticed an older man, with light-colored hair, and a red tunic. She shrugged it off, his choice of clothing was odd along with what he was carrying, but he was probably a tourist. Not like someone such as her could judge him.

"Ooooh, tough luck with Leanbox, sleepyhead." Samael winced upon seeing them return. He thought that out of everyone, she would be capable of taking out the outsiders.

If someone like her, or a CPU of robots could not win, then it seemed like the Dark Champion's idea to bring Natalie to their side was looking more favorable by the minute.

Wizzro was baffled to the say the least. He had no idea what kind of group this was, and why a rather short angel wearing a torn dress was planning things out.

"So with two others going up with the Kraken to deal with Lastation, I thought of something that would convince Natalie to our side." The Dark Champion chuckled, readying his disguise. "I will inform her of how morally ambiguous the whole situation is, and not understand what to do while playing as my brother. The Tiamat will attack Planeptune, when I give the signal."

"You're going to pull her away during the commotion?" The Anglar Emperor guessed.

"Close. I am going to see if she and the Planeptune residents can handle it first. If they are successful in weakening it, I must request that you be the one to pull it away, princess."

No response.

"Er… Sleeping Princess?" Dark Champion called out to her, only to see that she had passed out on the frozen meeting table. Either the princess was that exhausted, or ignoring the Dark Champion entirely. "Okay, maybe not her. I was hoping, since Natalie may recognize her. Anyone else?"

Taking the chance, Hoodlums raised his hand. He simply wanted to make up for his blunder, even though his ego was too big to admit that. It seemed that neither Sir Grodus nor the Anglar Emperor thought they would be fitting for the job anyway.

"Then after that, I assume you bring that outsider back, who will want to see everything herself?" Sir Grodus asked. "Then we all tell her our motives, if we are introduced to her. I wish to make Lowee's properties and stories as prosperous as they once were."

"I was never given a proper chance to be a good villain!" The Anglar Emperor huffed, trying not to look upset.

"As neither did I, to a more insane extent!" Hoodlums agreed with the Anglar. Since two of their members were not present, they could not give out their reasons.

"Aaaand I'll just use the same sob-story I gave to Rin, Madi, and Sabre. For some reason though, that last guy looked annoyed with me when I told it." Samael shrugged, glancing up at the Dark Champion. "You don't need my help up there with—"

"No." Finally activating his disguise, the Dark Champion teleported out of the domain, taking his leave. Samael couldn't help but pout at the fact he wasn't going to smooth talk girls into doing bad, not that it was a big deal.

Wizzro wasn't sure what to think about any of this. "All this whining about motive like they're trying to have a higher ground. I do not understand it." He mumbled, thinking no one else could hear him.

"Oh man, I thought I was the only one!" Wizzro flinched, turning quickly to see Lord Crump behind him. He thought he was in trouble for a moment, until realizing Lord Crump was actually agreeing.

They both looked over to see if those at the meeting were listening, which didn't seem to be the case. "Sorry if I startled you pal." Lord Crump tried to keep his voice low. "I don't understand any of this either. I can't tell if this is pure chaos, revenge, or what. What do you make of this, fish guy?"

The two of them looked over to the green Anglarian known as Zazan. Stern, menacing, but he replied in a polite tone. "I follow the Anglar Emperor no matter what, and do not care about the picture behind it all. I take her orders, even if—"

He then cut himself off, covering his mouth with a fin. Wizzro and Lord Crump instantly noticed his slip.

" _Her?"_

"Y-you never heard me say that, I was mixing up for," he decided to drop it, already taking note of how dumbfounded they were. "Anyway, at the very least, I do not trust some of the lot here. If they dare betray the Emperor, it will cost them their lives."

"… Shouldn't it be Empress, if they're—"

"I said I never spoke of it!" Zazan growled at Lord Crump. Out of fear, the X-Naut stopped speaking. Wizzro could only look at the Anglar Emperor, unsure what to think of them now.

—

Since Sonic was in Lowee right now, Sly thought it would be a non-issue to pay Planeptune a visit, Nick thought it would be a good idea to join them, if only to see how Natalie was doing.

They could afford to pull away from Lastation for a short moment, Sir Daniel chose to stay behind, as did Sweet Tooth.

"Dr. Eggman? What about him?" Nepgear asked. Two girls with pink hair were also currently with her. Nick assumed they were sisters, due to their hair color being the same, and somewhat similar fashion sense.

"It's not him that really did anything as far as we know." Jak said, Daxter on his shoulder as always. "More like Dr. Nefarious is back to trying to eliminate organic life again."

"And Bentley said that one robot in particular, who attacked Noire, Uni, CFW Brave, and the entire Basilicom, came from Planeptune." Sly followed up.

"They also looked a lot like you, Miss Nepgear." Toro mewed.

"Eh!? What the goodness, why would Dr. Eggman make something like that!?" Nepgear gave an overly shocked, comical expression. "Are Uni and Noire alright at least?"

"P-Man is in charge along with Kei until they recover, he instantly requested that Cole give both them and Sweet Tooth's friend some medical attention. Brave is also undergoing repairs." Clank explained to her.

"Unrelated," Nick interrupted, "who are those two over there?"

Nepgear glanced back at the two girls. The younger one waved at some of the All-Stars, while the older didn't take notice to their presence. "That's Neya and Geya, the CPUs of Esenkay. Neya is the older sister, and CPU Pink Heart—"

"Whoa, whoa, what!?" Nick exclaimed. "More CPUs, besides the main ones and that one lady who's in our world currently!? What consoles do they represent anyway?"

"NeoGeo ones, Nick." Natalie replied, entering the room with the "Eternal Champion", who no one found suspicious in the slightest. "There used to be more than just the main, current three companies going against each other. I've even told you, Michael, and Caela this."

"Hi…" Geya, the younger sister greeted, nervously, playing with her sideburn braids.

"You must be Nick, pleasure to make you acquaintance." The deity held out his hand. "I have been wondering about you. I am the Eternal Champion, I watch over the balance of the world. Currently, the state Gamindustri is in has raised my concerns greatly enough to visit Planeptune again."

Nick had no idea who this was, other than obviously he was from some weird, old SEGA game no doubt. "Nick, we're going to see if Nepgear can bring us to Dr. Eggman." Ratchet said, getting ready to leave the Basilicom. "Why don't you catch up with your friend, and let her know what's been going on?"

"I have already informed her, since I had been keeping watch on the nations from time to time." The Dark Champion replied. "This is a good time regardless, as I wished for this boy's side of the story."

Shrugging, the All-Stars decided to leave Nick there for now. They knew confronting Dr. Eggman would be easy, especially with Nepgear in their company. Geya decided to join as well, since she was a close friend of Planeptune's CPU candidate.

The Dark Champion could off them both right there if he wanted to, as long as Neya did not get in the way. But no, he wanted to convince the outsiders to his side. This was the absolutely perfect time to do so, since he had a feeling that these friends were occasionally debating with each other. Such squabble could easily be manipulated so Natalie could view things in a different light.

He would wait, just a little bit more, and have a chat instead. The Dark Champion had a feeling, he only had to instigate a conversation that would dwell into neglected icons and management of franchises.

—

Zarok groaned, holding his head as it throbbed. Things have been noisy as ever once the human boy arrived. Neither him, Calypso, nor Specter could properly relax with all the ruckus. Especially once that robot attacked the Basilicom.

"Someone should tell that idiot Nefarious to just give it up already." Calypso sighed, also having a migraine from the nonsense. "Oh well, maybe it will be the last of anything that happens, normally I love destruction, but after the past couple years, I simply just want a break from it."

Outside the trio of classic Playstation villains, Madi had finally met P-Man, and was shocked to see that he was technically a discarded character, just like her.

He told her how at one point, in a previous life as the Polygon Man, he had done similar things. Wanting to attack the All-Stars as a whole, make them into objects of amusement, control them, destroy things, have revenge on Noire…

It ended up being fruitless in the end. He was defeated multiple times, before being given a new body by Dr. Neo Cortex by a mere shred of data. Now he bounced between Lowee, as Blanc happily gave him a job, and Lastation to atone for his past sins. Nearly everyone forgave P-Man anyway, with one exception.

"Dart Feld." P-Man averted his gaze away from Madi, looking guilty. "I had imprisoned his friends, and turned him into a mindless, bloodthirsty slave. He could not forgive me, and I could not forgive myself. As such, he ended up abandoning the All-Stars."

The thought terrified Madi, to say the least. For someone to be so corrupted with feelings of being neglected, and then do things that could not be undone.

It was the sort of thing that made her realize, this must have been one of the reasons why Sabre wasn't too keen on those who had sent them to get revenge.

"Do you still want to rid of Ratchet and Clank? I understand completely that you can hold a grudge for as long as you want, I just do not want it to eat you alive like it did for me."

Madi was about to speak, when a shockwave suddenly sent her, P-Man, and a few others flying. She twisted herself to land safely and catch P-Man at the same time. She looked up to see where it came from, only to see something like a cyborg shark-man grinning at them. And next to him was an individual who seemed to be nothing but a head with a lot of tentacles. "It looks like we caught them with their pants down, eh, Kraken?"

Kraken responded by launching his tentacles forward, trying to hit as many people as possible. P-Man brought up a wall to shield them, but cracks already started to form from just the first barrage. And Rez joined in by launching exploding TVs, dealing heavy damage to the barrier. "This isn't good! They're knocking down the walls faster than I can build them. Madi, get reinforcements, quickly!"

"Wait, these guys were with the ones who told me attack Ratchet and the others. Maybe I can try to talk them out of it." Before P-Man could stop her, she jumped over the wall and headed towards the invaders.

"What do you want, kitty cat?"

"This attack is pointless." Rez just looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. "We don't have to attack them in order to be noticed. If we do, then we're no better than the ones the angel said were downright horrible. And also, as you can see, the Basilicom is already in ruin, with the CPUs currently in critical condition. Doesn't that already meet what we were trying for? So you don't have to do anything else."

Rez and Kraken looked at each other before Rez burst out laughing. Madi didn't know what the joke was until a magical blast hit her and slammed her against the wall. "Stupid cat. Ye 'onestly think we're the bloody good guys 'ere? Our goal was always domination an' payback. And if wut ye say is true, then we can easily take over an' finish the job."

Dizzy, Madi stood up to see a red-skinned man with pointed ears, standing on what appeared to be a triceratops skeleton. That was moving with other moving dinosaur bones. And a huge army of zombies behind them. "Not that we're ungrateful for what ye've done. If y'leave now, we won' kill ya wit' the others."

Madi's response was to throw her Swordling at Rez's hand, biting it and causing Rez to scream loudly. The scream resonated around the area, letting everyone nearby know there was a battle. The first to arrive were Sir Dan and Sweet Tooth, whose injuries were not as severe and were healed quickly. Sir Dan stared in horror at Lord Palethorn, who had suddenly come back from the dead with an army, he then drew his sword. Sweet Tooth drew his machete as well, happy for the chance to cut people up and not get in trouble for it. They charged forward as Madi faced Rez and P-Man worked on containing Kraken.

The first few groups of zombies were easy to cut down, but the more that were cut down, the more others came to replace them. It didn't help that the dinosaurs were trying to stomp on them at every turn. Luckily, the numerous zombies lead to easy buildup of AP, leading to frequent supers. They mostly used the missile launcher and Chalice and concentrated fire on the dinosaurs, but the dinos had some intense stamina, reinforced with Palethorn's magic. It didn't help that he was blocking their attacks whenever either. They just managed to take down their first dino when Sweet Tooth got fed up. "I gotta go get something. Cover me."

Sweet Tooth ran off before Sir Dan could protest, leaving him surrounded, leading to some quick and a little desperate spin moves. He drunk a Dragon Potion to hold off one end while he concentrated on the other side. But no matter what, there seemed no end to them. Just as fatigue was about to claim him, he heard a motor revving up and machine guns firing, knowing that it was time to duck.

Sweet Tooth's truck came crashing in, running over multiple zombies and launching a few missiles at the dinos. Unable to block all of them, Palethorn lost three more dinosaurs. With only a handful left, things started to turn around. "Dan! Get in the back and cover the rear! But don't touch my ice cream, or you'll have to pay!" Dan positioned himself in the back door and readied his bow and arrow, shooting down zombies as Sweet tooth literally went circles around Palethorn.

Madi wished she had as much luck, as Rez's huge variety of attacks was keeping her on the defensive. And with his metal skin, she couldn't even use the tickle bugs. Her back was at a wall, unable to use anything he couldn't block. And P-Man wasn't faring much better. Kraken kept breaking through his barriers and deflecting his crystal shots. He recalled from his visits to Lowee that Kraken was vulnerable to thunder-based attacks, but Cole couldn't leave Noire and Uni, leaving them at a disadvantage.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud pop, turning to see that Palethorn blasted Sweet Tooth's tires, leading to immediate retaliation by the truck turning into the Sweet Mech, letting loose everything it had. Sir Dan fell out during the transform sequence, and starting running for cover, getting to a place that was within earshot of P-Man. "Sir Dan! You have to go and contact for help from Ratchet's group! They may be the only thing that can save what's left - OOF!"

Kraken finally got a shot into P-Man picking him up so he slam him around. Sir Dan started to pull out his sword, but saw P-Man's look that said "go". Reluctantly, he turned and ran with his fastest Dan Dashes to get to a form of communication with the other nations. But he promised himself to get back quick, or Lastation may fall.

—

Now he understood a bit more as to why Mercury attacked, that part wasn't explained to him much. "Do not worry about that Mercury robot, my actual concern is the ones who attack over being forgotten which includes my brother." The Dark Champion explained.

"Your brother?" Nick raised a brow.

"The Dark Champion, he's the more chaotic half to the balance of the world." Natalie replied, sitting down and looking at an old SEGA GameGear.

"Sheesh, with a name like that, it's no wonder he's evil. Probably wants to blow up the world for fun or something, right?" Nick commented, irking the one disguised as his own twin. "And you can't do anything about him?"

"Nick! He's not a bad guy, it's just his job, and he feels neglected ever since the third Eternal Champions game was cancelled."

"It probably wouldn't have taken off much further, wasn't that the game that was trying to cash in on Mortal Kombat? Like several others?" The Dark Champion winced again at Nick's words, and Natalie could tell that they cut him a little deep. "I mean, didn't Naughty Dog try to make one before jumping to Playstation and making Crash Bandicoot? Geez, that's something I bet they wanna forget. Thankfully that trend is over."

"Naughty Dog… haven't they been ignoring some properties themselves?" The Dark Champion thought aloud, snapping out of it when he noticed Nick's reaction. "Pardon me, I did not mean to imply anything, but it does make me worry if my brother would try and lure that Jak character to his side."

"No way! Jak & Daxter is a loved game, and it's acknowledged!"

The Dark Champion was playing his brother's role perfectly once again. Acting as if he didn't imply anything, yet it was the small push, that would definitely lead to the dominoes falling over in a line, so to speak.

"I don't think he's wrong really, Nick." Natalie sighed, trying to defend the deity's worries. "When was the last time a lot of the characters you love have gotten a new game? Not counting multiplatforms?"

"Ratchet & Clank just got a new one, as did Uncharted. New God of War is coming out—"

"No Nick, I mean the classics you always love. Like… MediEvil? PaRappa? Ape Escape, right?"

"Aw geez, c'mon Squirt!" Natalie cringed at the nickname, the one she hated as always. "Sly Cooper and Twisted Metal…"

"That's been almost over three to four years, was it not?" The Dark Champion pondered, wanting to push his luck a little further. "Oh, yes, that's right. Sanzaru helps more with the Sonic Boom titles. I hear Fire and Ice was quite good."

This was true, now that Natalie remembered. She actually enjoyed that game as well, and recalled Sanzaru working on a Sly game. "That fourth Sly game, did it not end on a cliffhanger? Or am I remembering it wrong? I suppose it's not important right now, but it could—"

"What the heck!? Why are you getting on Sony's case about this!? Squirt, could ya tell him to cut it out!"

"No! You know I hate that name, and you started it by calling Eternal Champions a Mortal Kombat cash in, and calling his brother destructive!"

What? This wasn't the rebuttal the Dark Champion expected.

"They both create balance for the world, and the Dark Champion is upset, while the Eternal Champion here wishes to try and reason with him, but can't get through this time! Can't you be more sensitive!?"

Why was Natalie making this about him?

The Dark Champion thought Natalie would have been concerned about mascot neglect for sure. She clearly was, yet…

"Every video game company makes mistakes, even Sony and SEGA! I'm upset at SEGA for canning Eternal Champions, ignoring NiGHTS and Jet Set Radio, while Puyo Puyo will probably never be localized. Unlike you, I acknowledge the problems and that they aren't perfect, but it doesn't mean I don't love SEGA any less! I hate it when you and the others are blind to your favorite's problems, and get into fights over who's best. Why does it matter!?"

Even Nick was stunned, she normally would be worried about everyone's friendship, but it somehow felt more serious than before. Probably because it technically had to do with Gamindustri itself right now.

"Nata - Squirt…"

"She asked you to not call her that." The Dark Champion spoke. He didn't even intend to say anything, but it slipped anyway. "I think you should listen to her, if she's your friend."

He was not being intimidating or stern either, but… sincere? What was this? The Dark Champion didn't like it at all.

"Nick?" Mr. Grimm entered the rather small, gaming room, which had old consoles and other devices on the shelves. "Sir Daniel is running around here wonder where Ratchet and the others went, Lastation is in a pinch again. Are the others anywhere?"

"No, they're trying to find Dr. Eggman, why? Who's attacking now!? We're already trying to recover from Mercury!" Nick figured he should try to brush off what Natalie had just told him for now, even if her words did sting quite a bit.

"I am unsure, but with some of the All-Stars not present, along with Noire and Uni unable to fight… I am going to pull away from Planeptune temporarily to help in any way I can, and learn more of this incident." Mr. Grimm explained.

Nick knew he had to help again, since it was Lastation after all, and they were probably a huge disadvantage. "I'll see if I can find them!" They both instantly ran out of Planeptune's Basilicom, Mr. Grimm to join the fight, and Nick to help Sir Dan.

Natalie sighed, annoyed that Nick didn't even apologize. "I'm really sorry about that, Eternal Champion, Nick, he…"

"There is no need to, I pushed his buttons, which I did not intend on." Even though the Dark Champion really did intend on it, he still felt bad for once, mainly for Natalie. "Do you… put up with this sort of thing all of the time?"

"I'm the oldest, yet they consider me the kid of the group, yeah. I try to reason with them when they argue, and… it just gets really stressful."

His usual, sadistic amusement over quarrels was turning to sympathy. He wanted to know more, and try to cheer Natalie up at least. It was the easiest way to gain Natalie's trust, yet he would have done it even without ulterior motives for some reason.

"Do not worry about these sort of things. You all have disagreements, in the same way I have them with my brother. These things are only human."

Why though? Why did he want to try and comfort her?

—

"Mercury?"

Dr. Eggman stood there, scratching his head while his favorite theme, E.G.G.M.A.N., was playing in the background. Orbot and Cubot were listening to what the group of All-Stars had to say too, having never seen them before.

"That was a robot I made ages ago, but after Metal Sonic betrayed me once and began copying abilities, I realized that she along with a few other projects I had would be too dangerous for my own good… Orbot! Check that storage unit!"

Doing as he was told, the small, red-colored robot opened up one of the monitors. It seems that all of the security around the storage unit had been disabled, and a metal capsule had been opened up.

"Well, now we know where Nefarious got her from." Daxter said.

"No way, I can't believe this!" Eggman exclaimed. "I didn't mind when that imbecile took my old, cartoonish models, but this is ludicrous! Was anything else taken!?"

"Nope, just Mercury!" Cubot replied, also looking at the monitor. Eggman actually sighed in relief upon hearing that.

"Listen here, Lastationers or whatever you want to be called! That fool doesn't know what he's doing, get Mercury back." Dr. Eggman crossed his arms, dreading what may or may not happen in the future. "I never intended for her to be used, and I certainly never would risk it…"

His concern was too real, especially when they all witnessed Mercury's power themselves.

"Are you all done?" Nick asked, having managed to track them down. "Lastation is under attack again! Sir Dan came to tell us, and Mr. Grimm is already trying to help!"

"Wait, again!?" Jak's eyes widened, this day was becoming too ridiculous now.

"It better not be Nefarious again!" Ratchet growled.

They didn't waste anymore words on Dr. Eggman, who just watched as they all ran back to Sly's van. As they left however, a smirk formed on the doctor's face.

He had an idea, now that he remembered Mercury's creation.

—

Zarok squinted at the sight of Lord Palethorn. He gritted his teeth, as Specter and Calypso were unsure what to do about all of this.

Grabbing his pitchfork, Zarok gently tapped the bottom of it against the floor, a poof of smoke appeared, and he vanished from the room.

… Then reappeared, right behind Lord Palethorn.

"Pardon me, but I do not think we have met." The wizard said, trying to cover up his annoyance. "Are you the one that 'borrowed' my spell book? Asking because, Fortesque and his lady friend mentioned you once, and, well—"

"Wha' of it?" Turning around, Palethorn blew cigar smoke in the wizard's face, making Zarok start coughing. "Oh, so you're that Zarok cad, aint'cha? Gotta thank ya fer leaving your book behind fer everyone t'find, was a big help in my schemes in takin' ova' London, as much as tha' failed."

Zarok glared at him, holding his pitchfork tightly. "I am not flattered, unfortunately. You used quite the dangerous spells, and are a mere human. If anything, I'm rather insulted that someone was not another user of magic, or someone in my family's bloodline, as limited as that is. Who are you to lay your filthy hands on my spell book?"

Palethorn was more amused than annoyed, as easy as it was for him to lose his temper at times. "I'm into tha' black magic stuff, and so was the shrimpy Professor. Tha' count for anythin'?"

"You used it for power—"

"Oh, funny thing about occult nonsense, did ya make any deals with them demon world residents at some point in yer life? Funny story here," Palethorn chuckled, "tha' Samael fella? He says he's the one tha' went up t'Gallowmere, and ratted ya out."

Stopping his accusations against Palethorn, Zarok stood there, motionless and shocked.

"Went up there, pretendin' t'be a good angel givin' a message, said that their court magician, he's messin' with the dead with magic or somethin' _._ He knew ya wouldn't take it well either. The reason y'got exiled, and took it out on Gallowmere? Came directly from some bugger who wanted t'see a war happen. All of which lead to Dan's death, and me gettin' my hands on that spellbook. I honestly thank the little guy for it, especially for bustin' me outta my icy prison."

He twitched at what Palethorn was revealing. All this time, Zarok blamed everything on Gallowmere, its king, and Sir Daniel Fortesque. When the truth was, someone was pulling the strings for their own entertainment.

He pointed his pitchfork at Palethorn. "And where can I find this 'angel'"? Palethorn just grinned. "If you see 'im, it just means y'gonna die."

"We'll see about that." They used their powers to levitate into the air and duke it out with their magic. Calypso continued to watch, knowing it was a personal fight where interference wasn't allowed. Specter doubled back, an idea in his head.

Without a guiding intelligence, the last two dinosaur skeletons had no guiding intellect to lead them. Or to stop them from repeatedly ramming the Sweet Mech. Which was surprisingly effective, knocking it down and forcing Sweet Tooth to get out. But he had a crazier look in his eye than usual. He jumped on the head of one of the skeletons, crawling on its back and shooting it in the back with his shotgun until it shattered. But when the dino collapsed, Sweet Tooth stumbled on his landing, his weapons sliding away from him and disappearing among zombie feet walking towards him. He still had his fists and his flame, but with so many enemies and one last dino, he knew he was outmatched. But if he was going down, he was going down making as many of them bleed as possible.

But before he could get even one punch in, a monkey came out of nowhere and grabbed a zombie by the head, blocking his vision. Then another monkey, and another, and another. There were monkeys coming out of the woodwork and stopping the zombie's advancement.

"Yes, my minions, forward!" Specter returned, with his monkey army to help turn the tide. Thanks to this, Sweet Tooth was able to get a lot hits in allowing for his dynamite super, which he used on a monkey-less zombie, and sent it flying to the last dino's head, shattering it instantly and taking out the last heavy hitter.

Unfortunately, that took the last of his strength. He sat down, exhausted, can't believing this was how he was going to go, but he was able to take down a whole bunch with him. The zombie without monkeys on their faces reached for him….

…...only to get instantly torn to shreds by a chainsaw wielded by another Sweet Tooth. Before Sweet Tooth could say anything, the second looked down at him literally and figuratively. "This is not how Sweet Tooth is supposed to act. He dishes the pain, not takes it." He turned into Nick, raising an eyebrow. "So are you going to the psycho we all know? Or lay there like a pushover?"

He turned into Sly, using the Ninja Spire Jump to jump from zombie to zombie, while Sweet Tooth stood up. As much as he hated to admit it, Nick had a point. He was the Tooth, not a rug, and was time to remind these zombies of that fact, especially when he finally found his machete.

Hoping he motivated Sweet Tooth enough, Nick went to find the leaders in charge. He already saw Palethorn, but Zarok was battling him, and Nick knew it was better for him to fight then butt in. But then he saw a villain he hadn't seen for a long time.

"Rez?" The cyborg turned to see who addressed him, revealing a defeated Madi in his hand. "Ah, one of the annoying outsiders. I was wondering where you were. Now I get the chance to beat you. Hopefully you'll be more fun than this one was." He tossed Madi at him, making him turn into Kuma so she could have a soft landing, at least.

Rez prepared his laser eyes to fry them, but was suddenly hit by a series of sniper shots, coming from Ratchet and Jak. "We'll take care of him. You get her to safety!"

"Right!" Nick ran off with Madi in hand. Rez tried to stop, only to get another volley of shots fired at him. "OK then, I just have to destroy you first!" And with that, Rez increased his size and let loose with bombs. Clank slowed them down, making them easy to dodge. Ratchet set Mr. Zurkon and the Agents of Doom on Rez for additional help. Ranged attacks seemed like their best shot, and having a big target didn't hurt either.

Nick ran as fast he could, aiming to keep Madi safe, when a huge tentacle slammed right in front of him, blocking his path. He looked up to see Kraken preparing to strike. He turned back to his human form, making Madi ghosty as well. The tentacle passed through them, but Kraken wasn't giving up. Nick was walking through tentacle after tentacle when he saw P-Man half stunned.

"What happened?" Nick yelled out from a distance so he wouldn't get any tentacles to hit P-Man. "Kraken tried to slam me repeatedly, but I covered myself with spikes to make him let go. More importantly, is Madi all right?"

"She's alive, but needs help. You got a stretcher or something?" P-Man made one out of his crystals. "Distract him and I can get her to a nearby camp. He's vulnerable to thunder-based -"

All eight tentacles came down before he could finish, blocking his view of the two. He began to fear the worst when Kraken reeled back from pain, screeching as his tentacles were lightly singed. Nick stood there as Cole, holding Madi in one arm and pumping electricity in the other. "You don't say?" Not letting up, he fired bolt after bolt, getting Madi to P-Man, and allowing them get away, leaving just the two of them alone. "All right, let's dance!" he used a combination of electric and ice attacks to keep Kraken on the ropes, until he decided to finish it. Using his ice launch move, he propelled himself from the ground and various tentacles until he was above Kraken's head, and let loose with a no-hold-back thunder drop, dealing the finishing move, crushing Kraken and making him melt into the water he once mastered.

As Nick took a quick breather before checking back on Rez, he heard a crash a few feet from him. He turned to see Palethorn laying next to him, looking like he went twelve rounds with a kangaroo. "Pardon me about that, darling. As you can see, this 'stand-in' forgot who wrote the spellbook in the first place."

Not going to delve any further, Nick went to see how Ratchet and Jak were doing. He walked in on the two of them doing a joint level three attack, doing the last few attacks that brought Rez down, unable to get back up. "He's down, now what about - YIPE!" A head flew in between them. They all turned to see Sweet Tooth dusting of his hands. "That's the last of them. No more zombies to bother us. At least at the moment."

The threat over, they began to loosen their tension, until they heard cackling. Rez was defeated, but he wasn't unconscious, laughing at Sweet Tooth's comment. "That's right, 'at the moment'. The others aren't going to give up, and neither will I. I won't rest until I see and crush that Gecko!"

"Wait, this was all to get Gex's attention?"

"My part, anyway. The others were looking for a chance to take over, but my goal will always be that Gecko."

"You talking about me?"

Everyone turned to see Gex standing right there. "I heard that Rez was back and attacking Lastation, but it seems like I wasn't needed."

"Oh, but you will be needed. You will all be needed, if you want to live, that is." Nick turned into Kratos and grabbed Rez. "What do you mean by that?" A glow surrounded Rez. "Looks like your interrogation will have to wait, as well as Zarok having to work on his possum detecting skills! Ta-ta!" Zarok turned on that, seeing Palethorn standing up and weaving a teleportation spell, both him and Rez getting away. "Drat. I hate it when I am the one who gets tricked."

"Save your pride for some other time Voldemort, right now I want to know why Rez is back, other than the whole revenge schtick. He obviously working with someone, but who?" Everyone had a hard time answering, for they knew as much as Gex did. But one thing was obvious. They've been getting caught with their pants down too many times recently, and it's only getting to get worse. And with that thought, Nick's face hardened with resolve. "We have to get them."

"Them who?"

"The All-Stars. This obviously has gotten too big for just us. Heck, it's gotten too big for this world. Everyone's involved everywhere. If we don't do something, we're all doomed."

"Good luck with that. After what happened to Bleu, there's been a wedge ever since."

"In that case, I'll get everyone together even if I have to drag them."

When Ratchet was looking at Nick, he saw a spark in his eyes. A kind of spark that he hasn't seen for a long time. Then he realized how much he missed everybody. "He's right."

"What?"

"He's right. We haven't been the same for the worse. But this is our chance. To become the All-Stars again."

"Good luck with that. How do you suppose you even get them here?"

"We can always use the truth."

"Truth?"

"That there is a chance to bring Bleu back."

"W-what?" Gex almost teared up at that. "There's a chance that Bleu can come back?" Nick nodded. "If our theory is correct, she's currently in my world. If we can figure out the travel process, everyone can go home."

Gex started to feel a strength he hasn't felt for a while. "Nick, was it? Consider me your dragging buddy."

With hope being rekindled, they set off to where Cole and the others were. They had P-Man help spread the word that it was time for a much needed reunion.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

 **Mortal Struggle**

"They took Wizzro out from where he was being kept?" Blanc asked, giving a stern look.

"The ring… is no longer in the Valley of Seers, that's correct." Ganondorf replied with a grunt. "I was there myself, and noticed a pair of characters leaving, but I foolishly thought nothing of it."

Of all characters, Ganondorf was the last one Michael expected to see caring about this in the slightest. Link and Zelda had the same thoughts really. "They took Wizzro from where he was resting, yet they strangely did not activate him?" Master Hand wondered.

"Dummy! Only a sorcerer can reawaken him!" Ram yelled, throwing a book at Master Hand, making Crazy Hand chuckle while twitching madly. "Sir Grodus has flashy magic-like attacks, but not any actual powerful sorcery. And the Anglar Emperor is just a dumb fish! They can't do anything!"

"They would have to be… as strong as Cia, right?" Rom murmured.

All of this was true, and the idea frightened Blanc. Who would be—

"The Sleeping Princess is a powerful sorceress." Sabre said, leaning against a wall. "If anyone could undo the seal on a ring, it would be her."

"Are you… finally telling us about who sent you?" Michael asked.

"I don't see any point in hiding it. I barely know them, and I was simply motivated by rage. I don't want to make the same mistakes as my father." He shook his head, knowing that this could probably bite him later. "You already know Sir Grodus and the Anglar Emperor. It's not just Lowee that's being targeted. Lastation and Leanbox are too. There's some guy, I think he's called Lord Palethorn. Some abominable cyborg named Rez…"

Blanc and Michael remembered Rez on the N64 versions of the Gex games at the very least. "The Sleeping Princess I already mentioned, red-haired sorceress that's narcoleptic or something. Some deity known as the Dark Champion, along with an angel called Samael who looks like his growth stunted. And, some wizard with a foul mouth called Hoodlums."

"Hoodlums…" Blanc murmured. She recalled the name, and Michael instantly jogged her memory.

"Wait, that villain from the scrapped game, Conker Twelve Tales?" Now it was coming back to Blanc, and it made her feel sick a little. Hoodlums was similar to Sabre, in that he was scrapped, in favor of a game being changed completely.

Michael simply found it odd Sabre called him vulgar, he almost wondered if every character in Conker's games were affected by the transition to Bad Fur Day.

"Besides me… There were two others who were sent out to get revenge. Madi, the Monster Knight, wanted to get back at some feline creature and his robot. Rin Satsuki or whatever her name was, also had something against a shrine maiden, but honestly I think most of that was fueled by the angel."

Sabre then thought it over, as if he was forgetting someone.

"There was… one more, but all I remember is that they had purple hair, kinda looked like a chick. I didn't catch their name. I think they were blending in somewhere."

Paranoia now suddenly came over Blanc. That could be anyone with purple hair that looked feminine, and she dreaded the thought of them being in Lowee.

She couldn't risk any of them being in any other nation either. Blanc opened her laptop, turning on the group chat, and hoping the other CPUs would pick up.

—

After the battle in Leanbox, Reimu slapped a bunch of ofuda on Stubbs, then threw him in the basement where his lover; Maggie Monday, was also crawling around.

"He'll be lucky if he gets lunch for the next few days for pulling a stunt like that. Though, I suppose he's already had his fill out there." Frank West joked.

"I don't know who I'm mad at more, really." Reimu then glared at Rin, who had been playing her erhu to heal anyone that was injured.

Conker, Vince, and Kazooie were ticked off by her letting the invaders get away, Caela was too, but to a less snarky extent. The others weren't sure what to think, while a few like Cooper and Kasumi couldn't help but pity her.

Once she was done healing everyone, Rin wanted to avoid confrontation. Sadly, that was something she wasn't going to get.

The Gunstringer wasn't just mad, but he had questions, several of them.

"What's this about that angel of yers bein' friendly with my backstabbin' posse?"

"Huh?"

"That wizard, he mentioned that the angel ya get protective over is chummy with the ones who murdered me. Did ya forget?" Rin's eyes widened, at least this didn't have to with what happened before, but this certainly didn't help her feel any less guilty about something.

"He… he did once speak with a couple of puppets, breaking them out of the ice they were encased in. One of them looked like a tube."

That pretty much confirmed his suspicions. Of course Wavy Tube Man would be there.

Something was weird about that statement though. Breaking them out of ice? The Gunstringer was certain he killed them.

He began grumbling. This just made him wonder if they would come after him too, rather unlikely though. "Why do ya trust that angel? If anythin', he's friends with backstabbers I know, that's a bad sign, plus that wizard he's associated with attacked ya when—"

"Because he showed up and encouraged me, when no one else would! Even the Sleeping Princess at one point, helped me off my feet when all I could feel was nothingness for years!"

Her sudden outburst took him by surprise. "I'm tired of this, I just wanted to be a good heroine… I failed to do that, Hoodlums antagonized me, and now you're doing it too because I didn't want a friend being hurt!… Do you all just want me to go back? Because I have no idea how to, and…"

She began tearing up again, Rin was going to cry, _again._ But before she could…

"OW!"

She suddenly jumped up, grabbing her behind as if she just sat on a pin cushion. Everyone looked at Vince, who removing a pin from the same area.

He simply said in response: "Do you see me crying?"

"Crying? Why would you be crying?" Rin's sadness was temporarily replaced with outrage towards Vince's apparent apathy.

"I'm kind of in the same boat you are, if you think about it. So are Cooper, Blinx, Banjo and Kazooie, Ichigo, even Walters. But do you see us crying?" Some started to see what Vince was trying to do, and backed off for now, hoping it'll work. "We've been somewhat neglected and robbed at some point or another, but we haven't sunk to the level of staging a revolution. We still do what we do, and still have fans somewhere. Just because we aren't mainstream doesn't mean we're forgotten forever. There will always be someone who wants to play our games, and isn't that what it's all about?"

"B-but, I've never even been playable, unlike all of you."

"That doesn't change a thing. People out there remembers you, and wishes for you to be the protagonist one day probably, for all we know they could even make that happen on their own because they care that much."

Some, such as Reimu and Gunstringer, were getting scared that Voodoo Vince of all people was passing on wisdom. But it calmed Rin to the point where she was starting to regret what she's done, and was now ready to cooperate. "How th' heck did you get so philosophical, Vince?"

"I guess when you connect to people as many times as I have, you learn a thing or two." Some groaned at the first part of that, knowing what he meant by "connecting".

The Gunstringer had more important things on his mind. "Are ya sure that my ol' posse was freed from ice? I was sure that I killed 'em all and sent 'em to Hell."

"I'm sure. He said that he freed them from being frozen solid."

So they had two clues that made no sense. Hell, and ice. There was no connection to be made. Until some like Reimu started thinking. "Wait, I seem to recall some kind of series of poems about Hell, in which the last circle was for traitors, sentenced to be frozen for all eternity. If that is the Hell you sent them to, then Rin's story does not seem that far-fetched!"

Caela then turned to Rin. "Did Samael say about meeting anyone else in the ice? Or anything in particular regarding any description of a location?"

Rin thought for a moment. "I don't think so, he mostly talked about the ice where he found some of his friends, but nothing else."

The Gunstringer started to check his ammo reserves. "Looks like it's time for a road trip. Anyone coming?"

Everyone started to raise their hands. Caela had another idea in mind. "I think we need to wait for now. At least until we recover from this and get some help. Because these attacks have happening all over Gamindustri, and we have no idea what's down there. We should go when we're better prepared."

"I'm afraid she's right." Vert approached the group. "I've just been talking to the other CPUs. Noire and Uni are currently in heavy medical care following an intense assault." Everyone was in shock at that announcement. No one has been able to deal such damage to the goddesses since….

"Who did this? And where are they?"

"Is Nick alright?"

"How are the All-Stars?"

"Everyone is safe for now. As for the attacker, it was a robot sent by that Nefarious character, with power designed to rival the CPUs, but it was defeated by your friend Nick, who did so by pulling off, I guess you could say, 'combo-morphs' like you did against our attackers." Caela breathed a sigh of relief at her friend being okay. "The others are fine too. Michael was able to defend Lowee, while Planeptune has yet to be attacked. Really, if it wasn't for your knowledge we wouldn't be standing here."

Caela started to get some of her confidence back. "Has a plan been made yet?"

Vert smiled. "Yes. Nick is going to bring the All-Stars back together, Michael is getting information about our foes with the help of one of the ones who were tricked, and Natalie is going to check on how Gamindustri's balance is doing with the Eternal Champion."

"OK then, then let's prepare for that road trip. We're going to need a lot of supplies." Everyone started off back to the Basilicom when Caela quickly grabbed Vince behind everyone. "It was nice what you said to Rin to calm her down and get her to help out, but you do know you're getting a remastering, right?"

Vince just looked at her and winked. "Shhhhhhhhhhh."

—

"They're becoming aware." The Sleeping Princess grumbled, glancing up at the crystal ball every few seconds. "They're going to try and come down here."

"Why did we leave that qilin in Leanbox!? If not for the puppet and that rat, I would have disposed of her!"

"What's more, it seems Sabre has given us away too." The Anglar Emperor pointed out, sighing afterwards.

"Don't be so down about it! Remember? The gateway to Hell is blocked off, not even that grim reaper could get by it!" Samael laughed, looking over to several, frozen characters.

Gregg the Grim Reaper, Mr. Death, Komachi Onozuka, Shiki Eiki…

Mr. Ash, Minion, Black, Gigadis, Cliora…

Somehow, even Yukari Yakumo, Hecatia Lapislazuli, and Satan himself were frozen.

All of them, who had failed to fight back against the forces now in charge, including the real Eternal Champion.

… whose hands Samael proceed to use as a beer bottle opener, and then slid it across the table to Hoodlums.

"Once they get this far, they'll join these guys. Since they're catching on though, anyone get in contact with our little leech? Better let 'em know that they may wanna hurry up. The Dark Champion needs to bring that girl over and sic the Tiamat on Planeptune already too."

Palethorn and Rez were worn out, needing a break after their defeat along with the Kraken being defeated. "By the end of the week, they'll be screwed, there's no way for them to get into Hell, or for the outsiders to go back home." Samael sat back once again, looking relaxed.

If they came down there, Samael wouldn't even find it a bad thing. In fact, he was certain that the Sleeping Princess certainly preferred that idea.

And a certain someone outside the world, would like that too.

—

The Dark Champion was getting to know Natalie more and more.

He had never been attached to a mortal before, but everything about her was endearing. It must have just been the fact the Dark Champion had been imitating his brother for a while, and no one had been so open about SEGA's past titles.

It was something he never felt before, but he knew things would fall into place soon. Though the Dark Champion almost didn't want to lie to her anymore.

Maybe if he revealed that he was the Dark Champion— no! It was still too risky, the whole plan could fall apart.

Find her weaknesses, that was the focus to this, right? Cause havoc to Planeptune. No one was watching, and Natalie was reading some of the old, Eternal Champions comics with him.

Gently enough to not be heard, he snapped his fingers.

A rumble was heard, Nepgear and Geya, returning from their trip to Dr. Eggman's base, looked up in horror as they saw a giant dragon appear. It had multiple heads, similar to a Hydra.

"N-Nepgear… go back inside! Make sure your sister and her daughter are safe!" Geya urged her, as Nepgear did exactly that.

"What is this madness?" Xavier Pendragon questioned.

"Who brought in the giant reptile!?" Chuck D. Head exclaimed.

"Someone must have summoned it!" Arle suggested.

"Where's Sonic?" Vectorman asked. "We're gonna need his help—"

"He's in Lowee, we'll just have to face this thing without 'im!" Beat then started rolling out of the Basilicom, as much as the others wanted to stop him. Neya had come out as well to aid her younger sister, as they both transformed.

"Transformation, like, complete!" Neya announced, now wearing a black and pink, both her and Geya now having bright magenta hair and orange eyes.

Unlike the past few times, actual CPUs were going against one of the elemental fiends, but the Dark Champion knew that it would not do much, since the Tiamat had no weaknesses unlike the others.

Natalie's first thought was to try and help. Two CPUs alone probably wouldn't be enough, plus all of those SEGA characters banding up to assist.

But then…

"Puny organic lifeforms, I am afraid your time is—"

Mercury paused as she flew in, seeing the giant dragon.

The Dark Champion also noticed the robot's presence, making him actually panic for once. This is not what he intended. That robot could ruin what he intended, depending on what she did.

"Dr. Nefarious… someone else is causing destruction to Planeptune." Mercury spoke into a small communication in her systems. "They sent in a dragon which I have identified as the Tiamat. Should I proceed?"

"WHAT!?" He screamed, making Mercury's sound sensors crackle for a moment. "Look I don't care, destroy everything if you have to, focus on the CPUs, so you can take their position! Knock them out, drag them back, and you know the plan!"

"Understood." Mercury took aim at Pink Heart and Sister, the blade on her arm turning into a cannon just like last time, which fired a laser at them. Pink Sister tried to deflect it with her beam-sabers, but the blast could not be so easily shielded.

Pink Heart didn't see it coming at all, as she was firing her HDD gun at the Tiamat. Both sisters were knocked to the ground, leaving everyone else to deal with the Tiamat instead.

The Tiamat casted a Lightning attack on the ones before her. Xavier nearly had a flashback of his own stage, making him try to avoid it out of reflex. Beat, Chuck, and Billy Hatcher weren't so lucky.

Natalie was starting to get scared. Tiamat was bad enough, but another foe that took out the CPUs just like that made things seem hopeless. And that same foe was heading towards the Basilicom over the battle. It seemed hopeless until….

"What's going on? What who are they? Are they something I can punch?"

Natalie almost jumped at the sudden voice, and was more surprised to see Knuckles standing next her her. "What are you doing here? Not that I mind. I'm just wondering."

"Sometimes I get homesick, okay?" Natalie backed up a little until an idea struck her.

"Wait Knuckles, do you see that?" She pointed to Mercury headed towards the Basilicom.

"Yeah, I can. So?"

"Can you throw me to her?"

Knuckles just looked at her. "What?"

"Throw me at her." Natalie said, while turning into AiAi and equipping his ball. "Unless, of course, you can't."

That pushed the right button as Knuckles picked her up and threw her with all his might. She was able to reach the distance between her and Mercury, getting out of the ball and latching on to her. Mercury just smirked. "And what do you think you can do, fleshling?"

"This." She turned back into her normal form, the glow effect taking over Mercury as well. Mercury tried to quickly blasted Natalie, but she turned into Tails and flew off, the blast just passing through her. Mercury realized what happened after comparing data from her battle with Nick. She gave chase, aiming for a chance to "de-ghost".

Natalie was flying towards Tiamat with all her might, before any more casualties could be had. It wasn't looking good. The remaining fighters were able to dodge okay, but getting the wounded to safety was near impossible with every opening being blocked. Natalie had no time to lose. She flew to the nearest head and grabbed it, changing back and making the Tiamat a ghost like Mercury. She turned into Sonic before the Tiamat retaliated. It sent a massive fire attack at Natalie, only to pass through her and Mercury. Annoyed, Mercury blasted the Tiamat, deciding to take of this organic life form before returning to her normal state. Glad that they were now occupied and away from the Basilicom, Natalie regrouped with the others.

"That solution won't last forever. They can still be solid when in contact with the Basilicom. Any ideas of how they can beaten?"

The Dark Champion took a few minutes to collect his thoughts, after being thoroughly impressed by her quick thinking and actions. "Uh…. the Tiamat only has two weakness: Petrification and poison. As for the other one, the only one has been able to beat her is your friend Nick when she ruthlessly attacked Lastation."

She couldn't believe that last part, that Nick was able to beat something that beat the CPUs. She also didn't want to see him at the moment after what happened the last time they spoke. But it looked liked she didn't have a choice. As for the Tiamat, an idea was forming in her head.

"Fine, contact Nick and have him come over here. But also contact Michael in Lowee. He'll be essential in beating Tiamat. And might as well contact Caela in Leanbox too, it's time we all talked."

This was becoming worse by the moment, the Dark Champion had to improvise and go with Natalie it seemed, he had to get her trust. They ended up pulling their attention away for too long however, as Mercury crashed into the Basilicom after being flung by Tiamat. Realizing that she was solid again, she resumed her original objective.

"What's that robot doing now!?" Chuck yelled, struggling to get up from the damage he took earlier.

"I'll stop her!" Natalie declared, turning into NiGHTS this time. "Eternal Champion, please, hurry and get ahold of the others!"

He hesitated even further. All of this… would it backfire? Or only be more effective? All the Dark Champion could do was follow what Natalie said, even as he thought about it.

Everyone else kept focusing on the Tiamat, Arle created a magic barrier to protect her allies from the Maelstrom. Those that could run ran outside, distracting the Tiamat and making her concentrate her attacks outside where her current ghost nature could do no harm. Back inside, however, Nepgear had the unfortunate luck of running into Mercury.

"What… the goodness!? That's…"

"Planeptune's so-called CPU candidate." Mercury interrupted her.

"No way! I didn't think they were serious when they said there was a robot faker of me—"

"Faker? I think you're the fake CPU. You're comparing yourself to me? You're not even good enough to be my fake."

Nepgear just stared at her, mouth hanging open. "Geez, you really were made by Dr. Eggman, making a reference like that here."

In hindsight really, both Nepgear and Sonic frequently had lookalikes running around, particularly Nepgya and Nepugia in the CPU candidate's case. Now there was Mercury too.

Mercury prepared to swipe her blade at Nepgear, only for it to be blocked off by Natalie, who had now transformed into Tyris Flare from Golden Axe. "Go, Nepgear! Hurry to the others, I'm going to try and hold her off a bit more until my friends arrive!"

Hesitant, Nepgear knew that the safety of her sister and Angela probably mattered most right now. She ran off to another part of the Basilicom, while Mercury just watched.

"I have learned from my mistakes and adapt, you realize." Natalie didn't realize as she urged Nepgear to reunite with her sister, that Mercury had swiped at her body.

Not with the bladed arm, but with her own, claw-like digits.

"Tyris" felt herself wince in pain, she could actually feel that. Some scratch marks were on her exposed body. "You made the mistake of transforming into someone with a lot of skin showing, fleshling."

Natalie changed back to normal, and Mercury just watched, amused as Natalie checked her shoulder. The scratch was still there. She knew she was in trouble, but she was the only one who could hold off Mercury until the others arrived. Which was hopefully soon.

The Eternal Champion was finally able to get a group call with the other three nations, along with Natalie's friends. But they weren't entirely up to being bothered due their current situations.

"Look, things are hectic over here! Noire and Uni have finally woken up, but we're busy trying to bring all the All-Stars back together!"

"We're trying to learn as much as we can about our foes."

"And we're following leads on where their hideout is."

The Dark Champion was to keep his cool. He knew their help was needed to prevent disaster, but getting them here was tougher than he thought. But he had to try, for both his plan to work, and for Natalie's sake. If anything happened to her, he….

Shaking his head to get these feelings out and focus on his mission, he decided to outright say what's going on. "We're under attack from Mercury!"

"Wait, what? But I thought I totaled her!"

"Are you talking the robot that savagely beat the Lastation CPU?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Some robot CPU was sent by Dr. Nefarious to take down the CPUs. She completely destroyed the Basilicom and beat Noire and Uni to a near-pulp."

"Nick was able to beat her, but she escaped."

"I let her go to serve as a message to Nefarious. I didn't expect him to fix her so quickly, or at all. Must've been able to replace the parts I tore out. Looks like I've got to finish the job."

"Then looks like we've got to get going."

"Don't worry, I have a teleportation device that will bring you all here. I just need you to stand still so I can pinpoint your location."

The Dark Champion used the signal to trace the location of the outsiders. He was careful punching in the coordinates, not wanting to send any of them to the hideout, as this was how he got from here to there. When they arrived, they all had game faces on. "Where is she?"

"Natalie is holding her off right now to buy time for both you and the CPUs. They're in that direction." He barely finished that sentence when Nick bolted to where he was pointing. Being the only one who fought her, he's the only one who knows the true terror she's capable of, and began to fear of Natalie's chances. Caela and Michael began to follow, when Dark Champion blocked Michael. "Natalie said you would be most helpful in taking care of our other attacker and exploiting its weakness to poison." Knowing what she meant, Michael turned around to deal with Tiamat.

Natalie wasn't doing to good. Playing defensive to buy time didn't do much to deal damage, and that was only if she could get a hit in. Wounds were all over her and pain took most of her attention. She was barely aware of Mercury smirking as she landed another blow to her chest, flinging her to the wall and sliding to the floor in a slump. She was beginning to black out as Mercury readied her blade. Before she fell unconscious, Natalie heard a familiar-sounding cry.

"Hey, Bolt-Brain!" Mercury turned to the source of the shout, only to see the Nemean Cestus heading towards her face.

" **MISS ME?!"**

Nick slammed into her with all his might, sending her flying out the window and out of the Basilicom. His arm turned back to normal as he saw the condition of his friend. "Natalie!" He rushed forward, turning into Cole to do emergency healing. Caela, who just caught up, noticed something quite interesting.

"Huh."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I've haven't seen you call her by her real name for a while."

"This is a serious matter, no time for joking or teasing, simple as that."

Caela knew it was a half-truth from the tone of his voice, but kept it to herself when Natalie began to stir. "Uhhhhh, what?"

"You doing okay, Squirt?" Nick reeled back to dodge an immediate punch. "She's doing fine. Anyhoo, you just rest here, I'll take care of Mercury like I should've."

He almost jumped out the window when Natalie grabbed him. "Wait. I turned Mercury to the ghost state when we were outside. She found out about the Basilicom's solidness by luck. Before you beat her, you need to make her solid again." Nick nodded before leaving, Caela not too far behind. Natalie was forced to sit back down, still filled with fatigue. "Good luck."

Nick changed to Jak and activated his Light Eco form, using the wings and time-stopping powers to catch up. When he was right above Mercury, he changed back to his normal form and landed on her back. "What? You!"

"That's right, time to finish that dance we started!" He turned into Emmett Graves, turning Mercury solid again and landing a few rift punches. Jumping off, he equipped Carmelita Fox's jetpack and the Auger Rifle, hoping the penetrating rounds could some damage. But he had to hit her, and forgot about how fast she was. She was dodging his attacks as if they weren't even there.

She was about to retaliate when a blast out of nowhere hit dead center, knocking her off-balance, Nick turned to see Caela using Conker's tail to fly and wielding a Yithian weapon that just fired. "Would it kill you to wait?" She changed the tail to Kazooie's wings so she could hover and aim better.

"You don't know what she's like. But apparently since you can do a partial shift too, I'm liking our chances more and more."

Caela smiled as she equipped her other arm with an Incineration Cannon and Nick equipped his other arm with a Stinger. Mercury started to get a little concerned at the four powerful weapons pointed at her. Her agility was put to the ultimate test. But try as she might, she was only able to dodge about 70% of the incoming projectiles. The remaining 30% was able to score a direct hit, and do heavy gradual damage. Seeing no other choice, she went into her HDD form, the enhanced durability able to handle the attacks better, even deflect them in some cases.

"Any ideas Nick?"

"One, we're going to be at opposite sides of her. Put some distance between her and you, make it look good, and choose something big for a high-five."

That last part confused her, but she decided to let the experience be the teacher, and circled around to the right side while Nick went to the left. Mercury raised an eyebrow. "Think you have me sandwiched? Think again?" She raised her arms, a powerful blast coming from each one. Caela and Nick had to bring up the most durable shields they could, barely surviving, but were still blown back quite a bit. Mercury couldn't see them, but knew they would come back. "I should take care of the CPU before they re - eh?"

An action to the side caught her attention, and when she struggled to look through all the kicked up dust, she knew she should have moved when she had the chance. Caela assumed the form of the Dagon, and was reaching out as if to grab Mercury. Mercury wasn't going to let that happen, as her patience definitely ran out. She turned to outrun Dagon and loop around for return fire when she had a sudden relapse at the sight of a familiar hand. Nick was once again Chronos, and was going straight for her. Mercury's shock made her forget about the one behind her, but was quickly reminded when she got caught between the behemoths' hands slamming together with a massive shockwave.

Being of slightly smaller size, Caela was pushed back a bit by Nick, but didn't sustain any major damage thankfully. Turning back to normal, they saw Mercury fall to the ground, looking like she was sent through a trash compactor. But what was scariest was that there was still a light in her eyes. She had to get back to Nefarious before she was done for good. She stood back up and prepared her rockets, only to get her lower legs cut off by the Heavenly Sword. She tried to improvise by using her cannons, but those were quickly smashed by a Battletoads Smash Hit.

Mercury began to worry that she was a goner until Nick surprisingly started to tie her up with chains. "You not going to finish her off?"

Nick took a deep breath. "I don't think it's necessary at the moment. She's no longer a current threat, we've got her apprehended at where she came from, and we might need her to figure out where Nefarious is and what else he's up to."

Caela knew that Nick had a point, and was about to help carry her when a huge dragon head landed next to them. They saw that the head was connected to a body with a whole bunch of other heads, and was slowly dissolving. "Michael? You're just about done too?"

"Yeah." Michael said after turning back from a Crobat he was flying in as. "After I got this one solid again, all I had to do was use a bunch of Poison Pokemon to beat him. Muk, Weezing, Garbodor, Skuntank, all of them. And all her heads fell down like flies."

"Nice. Anyways, let's turn her in and regroup with Squirt. Looks like we've got a lot of notes to compare."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

 **The Hidden Member**

"You need to dispose of her now." The Dark Champion gritted his teeth over the communication, sitting in a lone room, speaking with someone else.

"Is she injured enough for me to do so?"

"As far as I'm concerned, yes, though you should do it anyway. She was extremely close to doing fatal harm to one of the outsiders!"

"My, you certainly care a whole lot about this."

"It's part of the plan, you fool! You were supposed to—"

"Please, there were too many prying eyes. I will come down to 'fetch' Mercury."

The call ended, and the Dark Champion pulled himself away from the room, going back to see if Natalie was alright. That along with her three friends…

—

"Take us to Nefarious, he's going too far with this! Is he involved with the others!?" Nick questioned.

"Others?" Mercury paused. "The dragon was not our doing."

"Apologies for interrupting," the Dark Champion had to intervene, any further the conversation went, and too much would be revealed to them. "But if she is not willing to take us to Dr. Nefarious, it might be in our best interest to return her to the other doctor in Planeptune. He did create her, after all."

"I dunno, I think interrogating her on where that Nefarious guy may be seems like a better idea right now." Caela disagreed.

"Not to mention, that other guy, Mercury mentioned before she left the first time…"

Nick took a good moment to remember who that was, but then shivered as he did so.

An idea came to the Dark Champion just then. The "leech" as Samael called him, could convince Natalie further.

At first, he didn't want them to be revealed, but if Natalie knew nothing about who they were, it could be so easily twisted, especially when Nick recalled the name.

" _Lumine…"_

"Isn't that the main villain from Mega Man X8!?" Caela exclaimed, as she had played the Windows version of that game.

"I only kept up with the first three, you mean that it wasn't Sigma the whole way through?" Michael asked.

"No, Lumine is even worse because he said he was using Sigma. He's that one girly-looking robot, with purple hair—"

"Wait… purple!" Michael interrupted Caela. They all soon drew to the same conclusion, that Lumine was probably the one Sabre was talking about before.

The doors opened. Looking innocent as ever, stood Lumine.

"Mercury! Are you alright? What have those humans done to you!?" Mercury was absolutely confused, not at his concern, but what the others had mentioned.

"Not so fast, Lumine. We know very well what you have been up to." The Dark Champion blocked his way.

"Yeah! You're using Nefarious, and Mercury here, aren't you!?" Nick accused, surprising Mercury even further.

"Nick, calm yourself." The Dark Champion then smiled at Lumine. A plotting one, and since he was facing the reploid's directly, only he could notice it. "It is about time to admit it, you are here because you have allied yourself with my brother, and for similar reasons as him."

Lumine went from seeming bemused, to depressed, his expression being a hurt one. "It's… it's as you say, I admit it." He clutched his chest, tears somehow forming. "I wanted to feel the thrill of a rebellion created by robots again, but in a right way. Your brother gave me a second chance at this, by directing me to Dr. Nefarious! I had no intention of betraying him, but now that my cover has been blown…"

He began sobbing now. Nick and Caela didn't buy it for a minute, while Michael was skeptical since he didn't know who Lumine was all that much. Considering Sabre's actions and the pattern that was going on, for all he knew, Lumine could have been telling the truth.

"The Dark Champion helped convince me to get involved, understanding how I felt, since my single appearance wasn't a proper enough ending to me. You there… you must understand the struggle!"

Rather than Natalie, Lumine directed his question at Michael, surprisingly enough. "That poor Sabre boy, and the Anglar Emperor never got something satisfying. Especially the former, who never got a chance to shine at all because of the changes made."

Michael clenched his fists. "I don't even blame Nintendo for that, Rare was rushed because of Microsoft buying them—"

"What!?" Caela snapped. "Oh no, don't you go pushing this one on Microsoft, a majority of the plot to Dinosaur Planet would have been taken out no matter what! I'm surprised none of those F-Zero characters turned over yet from not having a game since… when? The early 2000's?"

"That will come back some day, unlike the bunches of IPs Microsoft has laying around, which don't sell enough."

"Nice to see the whole Nintendo vs. Microsoft over Rare is still gonna be brought up by you two. I think Sony made the right decision in not getting involved with that noise." Nick said aloud.

"Did Madi not attack Lastation because her tale never started?" Lumine asked, in a slightly sarcastic manner. "Lord Palethorn says he felt his reign was too rushed, and wanted a second shot as well."

"Please, all of you, cease this at once, this is about Lumine." The Dark Champion tried to bring balance to the conversation, knowing well it would only become worse, all of which he intended.

"Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be worried about the whole world, and not just what we have to say?"

"You're the one that started it Michael, blaming Microsoft for Nintendo's problems again!"

"Yeah, ignore that clown, so we can pull the rose-tinted glasses off your head!"

"Stop it!" Natalie yelled, clutching her shoulder where the scratch was. "You all need to remove your glasses! The Eternal Champion didn't do anything and you know what? From the looks of it, neither did Lumine! First you guys all fight with each other, and now you lash out at him!?"

Caela raised a brow. "Lumine? Did nothing wrong? He manipulated Sigma! Going by with what Nick said, he's probably doing the same to that Nefarious character!"

"But his motive I can get behind! Was that last game the conclusion you really wanted? Do you think there should have been more? He's just like the Dark Champion and all the others, every good story should have the best kind of ending or tell us what happened next! I'm just tired of so many concepts, games, and character getting swept under the rug, no matter the company!"

They all just stared at her. Normally, Natalie trying to break up the fights was one thing, but to see her go out of her way to defend the "Forgotten Forces" as one may call it…

"I… I'm done here. I don't want to see you all fight anymore over this." Getting up, still struggling a bit from the scratch on her, Natalie began to leave the room.

"Wait, miss human!" Lumine called out to her. "You… you truly do understand our feelings, don't you? You should be with—"

"Enough of this."

Mercury, having used a built-in bolt cutter to break the chains, attempted to move without her legs. "Lumine, I demand you carry me and we exit now! Your true motivations shall be questioned later when we return to Dr. Nefarious."

"Wha… Mercury—"

"Hurry while they can't react!" Latching herself onto Lumine's shoulders, a jet was activated on her shoulders.

All three of the remaining friends tried to transform, only to be met with a purple, crystallized wall created by Lumine which blocked their paths.

Once again, Mercury had gotten away… but this time, it would not be for long.

—

"Ah, so all the fiends have been disposed of?" Samael asked, sitting around the more dark portion of the icy lair, which was surrounded in a few, colorful lights meant for a rave party almost.

"The Sleeping Princess told me to inform you of it, Lumine's cover has been blown as well, I have a feeling the Dark Champion is trying far too hard to win that outsider's trust." Sir Grodus explained to the angel.

"No way, I definitely trust him to bring the cute girl here!"

"Must you have a one-track mind?"

"Relax, I'm never serious about my relations anyway."

"That's not the point, Samael. You don't seem to care about how this is falling apart."

Done fooling around with his glowsticks, Samael huffed, tossing them to the Wavy Tube Man, who was flailing around in the back. "Are you doubting our plans? Thinking you could do better, since you're such a stick in the mud, as the Anglar Emperor puts it?"

Sir Grodus held his staff tightly, annoyed at how immature the angel was being. It was bad enough when the Anglar Emperor did it. The fish constantly called Grodus out on being a little too hard on Lord Crump, despite them all being evil. It might just be though since the Emperor held their own right-hand in such a high regard.

… Ridiculously high regard at that, to the point where Lord Crump even asked Sir Grodus what Zazan's relationship with the Emperor was. Come to think of it, the Anglar Emperor did have another underling, but he was rarely around.

Either way, the both of them were better than Palethorn in that regard. He pretty much threw Mander and Dogman at Sir Daniel Fortesque.

"Yo, Grodus, I hate being ignored here? Are you seriously hesitating to answer that?"

"Hm? No, you simply made me start thinking—"

"Eyes over here."

Sir Grodus looked back at Samael, and went completely still.

Out of fear, which was unlike him. Samael was holding a pair of scissors, right in front of Sir Grodus.

"Do I have your attention now? Otherwise, I will use these, y'know." Sir Grodus instantly responded with a nod, feeling chills that were not from the ice. "Anyway, it's not just the Dark Champ who's trying to bring help down here. Try to remember your place, alright?"

With that, Samael went back to partying joyfully, as if he had never threatened Sir Grodus at all.

"That boy… what are his true colors?" Sir Grodus wondered. "How will he act in front of that outsider in such a case?"

—

Natalie was by herself, trying to calm down and collect her thoughts. Not only did she have to deal with outside invaders, it looked like she had to deal with inside attacks as well. She didn't know how it all got started, where it all went wrong.

She thought back to when she was little, when she first knew her friends. She first met the others outside of an arcade, where they were all trying to get in line for the new game. When it was her turn, she was too short to reach the controls or see the screen properly. She was about to cry when Nick and Michael picked her up and held her as she played, with Caela making sure she didn't fall down. That was when Nick starting calling her Squirt. She admitted it was cute at first, but it got annoying as they got older.

Older. Natalie guessed that was when things changed. When home consoles became more commonplace, they saw as a great opportunity to hang out more, as well as have more games to play. Those were some of the best years of her life. But as the gaming industry grew older and more diverse, so did they. It wasn't before personal preferences began to tear holes in their friendship. Nick's cockiness over Playstation's success, Michael's temper over every problem that happens with Nintendo, and Caela's stubbornness over making sure Xbox mascots were not forgotten. And Natalie was always forced to play Peacemaker because she was the only one who could actually acknowledge problems and flaws, apparently.

And know they are in the place where any gamer would give anything to be, and all they can seem to do is fight even harder with each other. Maybe it really was time to end it, as it seemed like it was nearing the point of no return….

"Excuse me." Natalie jumped five feet at the sudden arrival, turning to see the "Eternal" Champion standing there. "I wanted to tell you something, but I didn't know if it was ok right now as you seemed deep in thought."

"It's okay, I wasn't thinking of much. Go ahead." The Dark Champion wasn't sure if she was saying the truth due to a lack of enthusiasm in her voice, but proceeded. "Through tracing the residual energy of the enemy's warps, I pinpointed their location and was able to establish contact. I was able to talk them into a little bit of a truce, when they heard that there was an individual from the outside world who stood up for them. They would like to meet you, if that is fine by you."

Natalie almost yelped, happy that someone was actually willing to come together, even if it was the ones that have been responsible for the recent troubles. She was about to say yes when…..

"Hey Squirt, we're about to do a roster check of who should be in which squad for the march to enemy headquarters and the CPUs requested your assistance."

"There's no need for that." Nick stopped in his tracks, confused at what she said. "The Eternal Champion was able to contact them and form a truce. I'm going to meet them and see what can be done to help them."

"Help them? After what they've done to the nations?"

"Yes. They've realized that they were wrong in assuming that they were completely forgotten, and that talking with someone who understands them can help everyone understand what they're going through and help them."

"Did you hear this from them yourself?"

"No, the Eternal Champion told me after he established contact with them."

"So, you didn't hear it yourself, but heard it from some guy after he 'just happened' to speak with them?"

"He's not 'some guy'. He's the one who watches over the balance of this world. Negotiating peace is something that he can do."

Natalie's temper was rising. She couldn't believe that her friend didn't seem to trust her or the characters she knows about more about than him. And what he said next was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Unless there's some definite proof, this just screams trap. You're going to be walking into the Lion's Den. I thought you were much smarter than this, Squirt - "

 **SMACK!**

Caela and Michael walked in on Natalie slapping Nick so hard he almost fell down on the floor. Holding his cheek, Nick just looked at Natalie in shock as tears started to form.

"I told you, I hate that nickname! But not only do you have to poke fun at my height, but you also have to insult my intelligence! I know what I'm doing! This is what's best for everyone! But none of you can see that because all you do is fight and argue for the fun of it! Well, I've had enough! Of the console's conflicts, and of you! I'm going to talk to the forgotten characters by myself, because of this moment -

 _OUR FRIENDSHIP IS OVER!"_

The three of them just stood there, terrified at the change that came over her, and more terrified at the fact that she was right. All they do nowadays is squabble over every little thing, trying to prove who is better.

With their perception shattered, and before they could say anything, not that they could think of anything to say, Natalie turned around and walked to the Dark Champion. "Let's go."

"Huh? Oh, um, yes." The Dark Champion was trying to stay calm, but was a little excited in the inside due to the fact that Natalie now had no chance of coming back to the group now, ensuring her staying with them, and with him.

As the teleporter came to life and whisked the two of them away, Nick could only say under his breath: "What have I done?"

Lumine and Mercury were flying through the air, still in Planeptune, currently above a thick forest with no one around. Lumine was smiling, while Mercury was thinking of what the humans said about the possibility of treachery. "Lumine, what they said wasn't true, was it?"

"What was?"

"Their theory that you are just using me and Nefarious. You do remember that our fight is for all robots?"

"Of course, of course, 'The New Age of Robots', where you replace the CPUs and all organic life is extinguished."

"Then why do you not sound as committed to the cause as the others?"

"Wellllllllllll, I guess you could say that - " Lumine did his Thunder Dancer attack, shorting out Mercury's rockets and making them fall. " - I am more committed to a different cause." He landed on his feet, using the branches to break his fall. Mercury wasn't so lucky, the numerous bumps and crashes on the way down damaging her even further.

Struggling to get up, she weakly replied: "Why? What cause is greater than ours? A cause for all robots - "

"Robots that are remembered, for the most part. What good is ruling everything if you aren't recognized? You might as well be watching ants that are too busy to acknowledge your foot. Until you bring it down. Like _now_."

Mercury tried to drag herself away, trying to reestablish connection with Dr. Nefarious, to tell him, to warn him, but nothing was working. Lumine caught up to her easily and turn her over. "Now, I was looking over your schematics, and I liked what I saw. I kind of want it for myself. But I don't have the necessary hardware. Unlike you." He said, while preparing to open her circuitry.

The nearby birds flew away as the sounds of metals and wires being torn apart filled the air.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

 **Preparations**

With the Ice Climbers now back, the Smash Bros. decided to bring in some of their previous fighters to help. Young Link and Pichu were thrilled to join in again, even though they had left for their own reasons.

Pokémon Trainer, often known better as Red, evolved his Ivysaur and Squirtle into a Venusaur and Blastoise during his hiatus, allowing Charizard to fight without him.

Wolf finally stopped being bitter about the whole thing when they asked for his help, but one thing was confusing him.

"I don't know about any Anglar Emperor."

Fox and Falco had a similar response, indicating that like Michael had once heard, the Anglar Blitz was never canon. It made the Emperor's motives for joining even more clear, at least.

Solid Snake returned to them, although he had aged quite a bit. Similarly, Raiden was heading back to Lastation to patch things up.

After a warm-up battle, in hopes of preparing for whatever was next, Little Mac stepped away from King Hippo who was knocked onto the mat. Every now and then, he went back to boxing, as opposed to traditional Smash Bros. battles.

Captain Falcon watched on the sidelines along with a few others. "I once heard zat someone who eez forgotten for too long becomes spirited away." Glass Joe murmured, shivering at the thought. "D-do you think such a group eez trying to prevent such a thing? Or has eet happened to zem?"

"Who told you that nonsense?" Doc Louis asked, eating a chocolate bar.

"W-well, my student, Gabby Jay once faced a young boxer, but zee suddenly vanished one day without a trace. Zat eez when rumors started!"

"I would actually believe it, sometimes I wonder if some of us F-Zero racers will vanish one day from lack of activity." Jody Summers dreaded the idea of it.

"Hmm… The Skull technically went back to the underworld, if that means anything. Do you think he would be involved?" Dr. Stewart wondered.

"I would hate the idea of that, but… what do you think?" Octoman, an eight-armed alien from Takora asked Captain Falcon. Jody Summers tried to keep her distance from the Takorian, since the two were on rather bad terms.

Captain Falcon tried not to think of the possibility of someone such as Black Shadow and Deathborn getting involved. It would just make everything harder.

"The one guy that Sabre brought up? The boy from the other world, Michael was it? He found out who that was! His name is Lumine or something." Ram said, as Rom attempted to ride Ganondorf's shoulders. "He was in Planeptune or something, after a big fight happened!"

Not only did the name make Mega Man uneasy for some reason, but hearing Planeptune be attacked made it all worse. "I-is everyone alright over there!?"

"Arle can handle herself fine, you need to stop worrying about her." Little Mac stepped out of the ring, the robot didn't feel anymore calm, and was tempted to fly on over to Planeptune with Rush's aid.

"Do you wonder if… they're right?" Octoman said aloud. "If others can truly disappear, or become swallowed to some other world, and become corrupted—"

"After attacking all the Basilicoms?" Captain Falcon understood his fears, but wanted to reassure everyone at least.

"Y-yeah, I guess you have a point."

Sabre continued leaning against a wall, watching them all. Their fears aside, it felt… like something he should have had, this whole time, was here.

He didn't even notice a gloved hand touching his shoulder, belonging to Mario. "We're-a done stocking up on Smash Balls! I know you're not part of the Smash Bros., but ehm…"

"You want me to help?" Mario's eyes lit up when Sabre actually responded. "I'm going to help in any way I can for you guys now, I've made my final decision when I revealed the others to you, after all."

"Why's-a that?"

"Because I see now, that it wasn't just an adventure I want."

Sabre then looked back over to Rom and Ram tormenting Ganondorf, Toon and Young Link playing with Pichu, the Ice Climbers meeting the Duck Hunt duo for the first time, Samus poking fun at Little Mac's height again before getting a light punch to her side— a big difference from their first encounter.

"I want to enjoy myself, with others. Whether they're from Rare or not. I'll just be the same as Randorn if I go on with wanting revenge."

Mario had never heard this before. "Randorn?"

Part of Sabre began to regret having the name slip out, but at the same time, he knew he had to get the full story off his chest now.

"I mentioned him before. He's my father." Mario began remembering now, Sabre mentioned his own father destroying a whole tribe, with the exception of one who escaped.

Quite dark for a Rareware game, now that he thought about it. "My older brother, he died in a battle against a tribe, and in a crazed fit of rage, Randorn left me and my mother behind. He stumbled upon a camp belonging to the enemy tribe, and… he wanted to atone for his mistakes, after that. He ended up adopting the sole survivor, and taught her magic.

"I'm going to do the same, undo the wrongs I have against Lowee. Even if your CPU can't forgive me. I'm sure Madi and Rin will be upset that I'm betraying the cause, but I feel it's for the better."

Mario went from rather depressed, to smiling slowly as he heard that last part. Sabre may not have been part of the Smash Bros., or someone who ever got to fulfill his quest, but he was worth just as much as anyone else in Lowee.

Michael returned to the Lowee Basilcom, notably less enthusiastic than Sabre was, ironically. Blanc was almost inclined to ask why, but she wasn't very good at cheering others up.

There was no point in not trying however. "Michael, are you alright?"

"Fine."

It was a little hard for him to say "one of my long-time friends is suddenly ditching us for the villains". Especially in front of others. Blanc could tell however.

"Do you want to speak about it privately?"

—

The Microsoft characters had a different way of fighting. They had special attacks that were built-up like the Playstation All-Stars, but their mechanics were more like Smash Bros.

They didn't have to stock up on much because of that. They didn't have much item variation, mainly because some of them saw little need when they could rely on skill.

Caela looked like she had all the pep taken out of her though. It concerned Vert greatly, and she tried to get the girl to talk— much to Chika Hakozaki's dismay.

"What's eating her?" Sho asked.

"I am assuming a conflict with her friends had occurred." Glacius replied.

"I almost wonder what would have happened if the dragon born lady was still around." Ichigo sighed, putting her paws on her head. "She's been doing training in Lowee, for the Switch game, riiiight? I wonder if she's aware of what's going on."

Walters was still trying to figure out how he returned. Madotsuki made sense somewhat at least, she was bait from Hell. He however, was deleted entirely from the world, and couldn't make any sense of it.

Rin was equally unsure, especially when Master Chief told her that they wanted her to come along.

"Even though I've gotten in the way?"

"You helped reveal the location the ones who had been assaulting us. Those few moments were hardly getting in our way." Master Chief explained to her, hoping she would cooperate.

Glancing at Reimu, who was chatting with Kasumi and Frank West, Rin still didn't feel right about this. "It's alright girlie, I don't like that miko either. We can team up, and make fun of them detached sleeve things of hers." The Gunstringer joked. "In all seriousness, ya can't let go of this still?"

" _ **She murdered someone close to Sammy."**_

The answer was so sudden, and delivered so coldly. Master Chief actually winced at it, because he knew what Rin was talking about. It was a couple of years ago too.

It would be wrong to try and justify what had happened with the fact that "close someone" was working with a character they wanted to wipe from their memory. There was no way to give the whole story to Rin, and if anything, this made Master Chief wonder if Samael's motivations were that personal.

Conker on the other hand, had other thoughts right now. Hoodlums, someone he didn't recognize, being brought into the picture opened up a realm of possibilities on his past. Would Honker the skunk, and the Evil Acorn show up next?

That was something that would be… funny to see, rather than dreadful. Though since the Evil Acorn was fired off into orbit. It would be crazy if the guy would return from that.

" _Veeeert!"_

"Oh great, just who we all needed here." Vince rolled his single eye as two boys, having dark blue hair came running into the Basilicom. Caela lifted her head from the desk, seeing them, and having no idea who they were.

They were clearly brothers. The taller one was wearing glasses, wearing a turquoise shirt that had an ascot around the collar.

The shorter boy had… a ridiculous fashion sense. Short-shorts, a white shirt with a small necktie, and a clip in his hair.

It was a boy at least, right? Caela almost couldn't tell, she didn't care much right now either.

"What happened to your Basilicom!? What's this about things attacking? And— oh, who is this?" His energy managed to outdo even Neptune's, the taller brother tried to stop him.

"Now is not the best time." Vert said, pouring a cup of tea. "This is Caela, she is from another world and has been helping us. She's a bit upset right now though after meeting up with her friends a while ago… Caela, this is Pipin, and Swanson. They are the CPUs of Laydia."

Male CPUs? What did they represent?

"Just because I don't make consoles anymore, doesn't make me any less of a rival for you, Vert!" Pipin, the shorter one, puffed up his cheeks. "And before you ask, I'm the older brother!"

This was also a surprise, but Caela still didn't care too much right now. "Pipin is my rival when it comes to creating computers. His own oracle is even testy with Ziege, the genius programmer in Leanbox."

Business rival in computers?

It took Caela seconds to realize Pipin probably represented something Apple related. She was not a fan of those at all, and got annoyed when Michael began playing that Pokémon and Mii game on the iPhone.

"I know what you're thinking, yes, Apple did make a console once with another company." Caela winced when Vert said that. "It went just as badly as expected."

"Hey! Okay, enough about that, why is this one down in the dumps?" Pipin tried to poke Caela, but his hand went right through her body, freaking him out a little.

"Pipin, please." The taller yet younger brother, Swanson pulled him back again.

Not only did Caela lose a friend, but now, she was stuck with something representing Apple for the next few hours. She almost wanted to give up entirely…

—

In one of the few surviving rooms of the Basilicom, it was bustling with more life than it has in a long time. The All-Stars were all together back in one place, a surprising sight since many left. Those such as Emmett Graves, Spyro, and Heihachi left because of everyone losing their spirit, but were willing to come back if it meant saving Bleu. That was the reason most of them came back, to fix past mistakes. Many were glad to see Raiden again, coming back to patch things up with his friends. Even Dart came back surprisingly, though he still would leave the room when P-Man would come in.

Morrigan, Laharl, and Valvatorez returned from Makai because it was too boring down there. Chou-Chou, the undisputed god, even came back more antsy than ever for action. Raziel and Nikki were happy just to see Gex decided to return, and they also wanted to see Bleu again.

Isaac Clarke, at first, was still annoyed with Noire, but upon hearing that she was hurt along with Uni, he almost felt it was his fault. Some of the All-Stars even got a pang of guilt from that, as if they couldn't protect her.

When Kratos came back, he was sporting a full beard rather than a goatee. "Cupcake? Is that you?" Sweet Tooth was genuinely shocked, he barely recognized Kratos until Toro announced his arrival.

He looked far less angry than he did a year ago, as if he was a completely different person. "It really has been a long time, it seems." Scorpion commented, also noticing how different Kratos looked.

But even though they were back together in body, they weren't in spirit. A lot of them were mostly back for Bleu's sake, others to feel the proper thrill again, and not much for each other. Too much has happened, making them all go their separate ways. And it didn't help that the driving force of their renewed spirit, Nick, came back looking like someone had tore out all hope he had. He wouldn't even talk to anyone about it, much less acknowledge anyone's presence.

Knowing they had no time to wait, Ratchet let Nick sit by himself in a corner of the room as he started the meeting. "Well, let first start, it's great to have everyone back - "

"HA! Cliche!"

Everyone glared at Daxter, while Jak smacked him above the head. Ratchet rolled his eyes before continuing. "Anyway, you all have been informed of the situation concerning Bleu and Noire's current condition. I wish to tell you first that Noire and her sister's condition has stabilized, but they're far from fully recovered." Some were relieved at that piece of news, but some were not pleased.

"Why did they have to get hurt in the first place? If we had Cupcake or Angel here, we wouldn't have had anything to worry about!"

Some were surprised to see Sweet Tooth say that, but they were all thinking the same thing. With nearly everyone gone, Lastation was basically defenseless. It didn't help that the one who saved them was someone from out of town. But Kratos and Mr. Grimm didn't like what Sweet Tooth was saying.

"Kane, you know that I have a family to think of now! And I'm no longer the killer that I once was."

"And I have been trying to let go of my past. With my vengeance over, I try to seek peace."

"Peace? That is a word that will never be associated with you, my son."

"What about you, old man? You're probably only here for Bleu for the wrong reasons."

"Must you think of such vulgar things, Donte?"

"Lighten up, Nariko, he has to have something to do since he's probably never getting a sequel. Something a lot of us can relate to, right?"

Another smack on Daxter's head and the situation started to get a little more heated. Gex and Isaac were trying to get the topic back to Bleu, Sweet Tooth wouldn't let it go with Kratos, Grimm, and anyone else he saw, and Parappa, Spike, and Sir Dan started to yell at Daxter. It wasn't long before everyone erupted into arguments. Some in the initial arguments, others in trying to break them up, others in wondering what was the point in coming back.

Ratchet took out one of his guns and fired in the air, gaining everyone's attention. "Quiet down! Obviously, there's still some rough patches, but we need to - "

"Who put you charge? Do you think you can command us because you're the only one that got a remastering _and_ a movie?"

"That's not what I'm - "

"Who cares? We've obviously gotten worse than we were with Bleu! I knew it was a mistake to come back!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have come back Graves!"

"Well, if he's going, so am I."

Spyro turned to leave to see Crash blocking his path. "Get out of my way." Crash just shook his head. "Fine then." Spyro then jumped up and head-bashed Crash, dazing him. At that moment, everyone drew their weapons, all acting hostile with each other.

"Look at this, no one trusts anybody."

"Why should we? If what I heard about the attackers were true, then half of us could be traitors."

"Just because we haven't had any games recently doesn't mean we're forgotten! Or join up with the enemy!"

"Nice speech, practice it much?"

"I have had enough of - "

 **SLAM!**

Everyone turned at the noise, seeing Nick with his arms changed into Hercules's, breaking a table in half, breathing heavily.

"What…..the hell…...IS THIS?!"

No one could understand his outburst, or the meaning of his words. All they could do was wait for him to talk more.

"This is supposed to be the Playstation All-Stars? The mighty warriors who always fought for what they believed in? Who fought for what was right? For their friends? Family? Whose stories are still talked about to this very day? This isn't them. You're just a hollow shell of what you once were. You let a past mistake get between you, break you apart, but this is a second chance. You have the opportunity to fix this and be who you were once again. But instead, you'd rather let petty differences widen the gap and stay alone. This isn't the Playstation All-Stars. This is a bunch of squabbling brats. Where are the heroes? Where are the legends?"

His fingers were gripping what was left the table intensely. So much that he was starting to bleed from his fingertips. But the pain had nothing to do with the tears streaming down his face.

" _ **WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I RESPECTED?!"**_

His strength leaving his legs, Nick fell to the floor, caught by Ratchet and Cole. Everyone was stunned at his words, being speechless for several minutes. Kratos started to feel something surge inside him, as he felt his fists tighten. "I….I have been foolish. These past few years, I have been starting to think of you as a new family. Yet it is part of a past that I was trying to forget."

"You're not the only one." Kratos turned to Scorpion as he retracted his chain. "I began to feel a connection with you all ever since I came here. I've already lost one family, but I will not lose another." Sackboy jumped up on a chair, in a ready pose showing determination on his face. Sir Dan thrust his sword into the air with his confidence. It was met with the High Frequency Blade, the Heavenly Sword, Rebellion, the Cooper Cane, and a few others. Spike and Nathan helped each other check their weapons while Big Daddy started to rev up his drill. Gex actually started to feel a bit nostalgic.

"You know, this reminds me of a slogan."

"And that would be…?"

"Wherever, Whenever, Forever."

Those that started on the PS1 recalled those words well. It was Playstation's original saying, and right now, those words would be put to the ultimate test, for the sake of themselves, and for the one that they will save no matter what.

Cole was healing Nick's fingers while Ratchet helped him onto a chair. "That was great. You were able to get everyone back together again. We owe you a lot - "

"I was selfish."

HIs words took the two of them off guard. "Selfish? What are you talking about?"

"I just lost one of the best friends that I ever had. I think I might have lost all of them. And it's all my fault. I let my pride get the better of me, and it cost me the ones I had the most fun with. And the same thing was just happening to you. While you could say I did it to make sure you didn't know my pain, and while I did say everything from the heart, truth is, I couldn't handle the reminders of my suffering."

After they were fixed, he clenched his fists, his self-loathing turning into anger and then determination along with his words. "She was right. She was always right. And I was too stupid to see it. Just like I'm too stupid to let her go." He stood up, his body bustling with the glow. "I'm going to find her, and I'm going to get my friend back. And not even death is going to stop me."

He turned to the All-Stars, all pumped up and happy that they were a team again. "Hey!" They all jumped at attention. "What are you all still doing standing around? I thought we had people to save! So let's go!" Cheering, everyone rushed out, preparing supplies and transportation before they meet up with the Smashers and Microsoft characters, more inspired than ever to save the world.

Ratchet was loading AP crates when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Madi standing there. "I wish to come. After hearing what Nick had to say I finally realized what truly made all of you….you. And I also realized that before I could get any recognition or respect from you, I first need your trust."

She held her hand out, fully offering her allegiance to the All-Stars. Ratchet took it gladly, happy to have finally patch things up with his fellow Insomniac creation. "However, if you try to refer to me as 'Big Sister', I will kill you." It took every bit of willpower for Ratchet to not point out that she did something that siblings tend to do.

Was there anyone missing? Evil Cole was gone, mostly for the better. Neptune had to stay in Planeptune, even though Mr. Grimm would worry about her no matter what. Nefarious was acting antagonistic again, so not him.

That's right. Two of the All-Stars still weren't present. There wasn't any way the others knew how to contact them either.

—

"Where is that lass?" Scervo had been searching Planeptune for over an hour. Neither Lumine nor Mercury checked back to Dr. Nefarious when they both left.

He was inclined to give up and turn back, by the time he was done searching, Mercury would be at the base, making his and the doctor's worries all for nothing. A proper status report on Mercury's mission was never received though.

Tracking her down wasn't working either, once Scervo opened the device up. Nefarious had a feeling that at one point she would have to be fetched, but it seemed she wasn't in Planeptune's Virtua Forest at all. Heck, she may have well been not in Planeptune to begin with.

Scervo shrugged, beginning to turn back, until something snagged his foot and he tripped. He thought it was a root or something, but a scraping sound was heard when he got caught, as if it was metal.

Removing himself, Scervo looked down at the tall grass, only to be horrified at what he saw.

He found Mercury. Mangled, torn apart, her power source removed, beyond any form of proper repair.

Dr. Nefarious wasn't going to like this, Scervo almost didn't want to tell him the truth, since such a sight was hurting even the pirate captain right now. It reminded him too much of what happened a couple of years ago, but done to Dr. Nefarious himself.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

 **Appealing the Outsider**

Freezing, possibly below zero, Natalie almost started to regret the agreement to follow the "Eternal Champion". It was a short travel at least, but where in the world was she?

Natalie didn't recognize anyone she saw either. The woman with red hair was too obscure even for her. "Natalie," the Dark Champion spoke, "I am unsure whether I should leave you here with them, or stick by you longer. Even I cannot always trust my brother."

Before she could answer, Lumine replied to him. "I can look after her as gratitude for earlier, Eternal Champion, I promise to do no harm to her, even if she is a human."

She was a little surprised to see Lumine again so soon, but it made sense, he probably wanted to break off from Nefarious, in fear of someone catching on to his selfless intents. That's what Natalie believed, at least.

Pretending to hesitate, the Dark Champion gestured that he would be watching them. "I shall return to my domain then. Natalie… good luck." With that, turning into a wisp, he vanished in the air.

Natalie glanced at the group of characters before her. Most of them didn't look like they wanted to speak, except for the anglerfish. Shorter than her, the Anglar Emperor, along with Zazan, approached Natalie.

"Pleasure to meet you, sympathetic soul!" Shaking Natalie's hand with a webbed one of their own, the Anglar Emperor smiled at her. "I am the Anglar Emperor, an evolved creature from Venom's ocean. This here is Zazan, my highest ranking general, bodyguard, servant, and close companion."

Sir Grodus groaned at the Emperor's antics, but Natalie just seemed a bit confused by that first part. "Emperor?" The Anglar Emperor nodded, not realizing what was coming next. "I studied animal biology, shouldn't the ones with lights on them like you be female?"

The Anglar Emperor tensed up, as did Zazan, while everyone else began staring at the Emperor. Hoodlums and Lord Palethorn began cackling with laughter, Rez couldn't help but start chuckling too. Sir Grodus wasn't as amused, as he glanced over to Lord Crump and Wizzro, who were trying their hardest not to laugh along.

Groaning, the Sleeping Princess covered her ears. "Er… n-no, I'm a fearsome Emperor of the Anglarian Army!" Trying to pull on their mustache like a devious, or charming villain, it ended up popping off instead, causing further uproars of laughter.

"Zazan, they're all mocking me! It's bad enough to be someone who is ignored by fans, while disregarded from canon entirely." The Emperor weeped, which for once, no one could tell if they were being legitimate with that reaction or not. "I expected better of my own allies."

"Aw, we're not making fun of that part, we're all in agreement there, sweetie." Lumine stated, making Zazan glare at the reploid for his condescending tone of voice. Already Natalie was feeling bad for a fish of all things.

"All of the great character development and story-telling was erased for mediocrity in Lowee. If the CPU wishes to turn a blind eye to how great things used to be, then I wished to teach her a lesson. I thank you for your time to hear us out." Sir Grodus explained, which was followed by several X-Nauts giving an applause.

"So, y'got a remake of the original MediEvil, which fleshed Zarok out a wee bit more, right? Along with everythin' else, even if some people say the original game was superior… And yet, my tale doesn't get one. There were so many things left unused, y'see? Rushed t'just get out before the PS2 release, I betcha. All these years, and I don't get a remake that fixes problems my reign had. I need a proper boss fight! Not some—"

"We get it, Palethorn. You have a limit to how much needs to be said." The Sleeping Princess grumbled, making Palethorn grind his teeth against the cigar in his mouth out of anger. "Rez, would you like to explain your motives to the outsider?"

"Similarly to Lumine, lack of conclusion that was wanted. Gex's tale had ended, on an imperfect note. On top of that, there was the fact Deeyo's CPU had vanished, who I thought was dead because of Lastation originally! Once again, she is taken away." He hissed. "And like Palethorn, nothing for years. Zero activity."

"That Bleu woman, she's in my world, I'm sure of it! We even discussed her!" Rez went from rather astonished, to pleased upon hearing that from Natalie. "Actually, this brings up something I wanted to ask. Do you know any ways to get me and… actually, more like my ex-friends, back home?"

"Weeeeee might!" Sliding in, Samael's eyes widened. "Whoa! You're cuter than expected, wow! Where have you been hiding?"

Natalie was puzzled. This character looked as if he was a young man, probably younger than her, but the wings and mannerisms indicated he was much older than he appeared. He was even shorter than Natalie to boot.

"I'm Samael, what do they call you?"

"Um… Natalie."

"Natalie, huh? Wanna come hang out with me, so I can explain to you what happened, one-on-one?"

"That won't be necessary, Samael."

Stepping in this time was the Dark Champion, he had quickly swapped out of his disguise, and reverted to his usual characteristics. Everyone in the room was aware of that completely, except Natalie herself, who thought this was the first time meeting him. "I apologize, Samael gets a little bit… excited."

"It's no problem." Natalie said, although it did somewhat bother her. "Not to go off the topic I brought up, but what's his story exactly? Along with the wizard and the woman over there?" Hoodlums raised his hand first, gladly telling Natalie his own tale.

"Scrapped! My whole game, scrapped in favor of—"

"Take a chill pill, Hoodlums! Watch what you say in front of out guest."

"Nngh…!" He glared at Samael, trying to calm himself. "I never saw the light of day, when several changes were made to what became an M-rated game. I was nearly stuck between realms, before being pulled out. So now it's all 'who were you?' when people see me."

The Sleeping Princess knew that it was her turn, even though she didn't want to speak. "Secret of Elysium, one of the Madou Monogatari games, it was only released in Korea. No one knows who I am, except very, very few."

Even though Natalie was a fan of the Madou Monogatari series, especially the GameGear ones, which she played the most, she had never heard of that title at all. It made sense now that she didn't recognize the Sleeping Princess.

That left only Samael, the strangest piece of the puzzle. Natalie looked at him, and he winked. "Why are you involved in all of this? What are you from?"

"Ah, it's not about what I'm from," Samael's face slowly became grim, "it's about who was taken away from me. A couple of years ago, someone who was forgotten, was killed by a shrine maiden and her allies. Sariel was his name. Along with him, his closest companion was offed too."

Natalie felt a pit in her stomach. There was being forgotten, and then there was someone with out of place, but with a good enough motivation for what he was doing. It was the first time Wizzro, Lord Crump, and Zazan were hearing it too.

"Was… Sariel a good friend of yours?" Natalie asked. Samael shook his head though, his expression remaining unchanged.

The next words uttered would scar Natalie quite a bit, along with the three others who were unaware.

" _ **He was my son."**_

Natalie was shocked. At first that someone so young-looking was a parent, then at the fact that he lost his own kin. She started to feel sorry for him, but was unable to say anything. Before she could try to think of something, Samael took her hand, shocking her a little more.

"Anyway, how about I show you something really cool, eh?" Natalie was unable to respond, not used to people being so forward with her, too used to her former friends' usual antics.

The Dark Champion took Samael's hand off of hers a little forcefully. "I will show her."

"Oh, poo, trying to have all the fun, are we? Oh, well, I can still tag along." Groaning, The Dark Champion took Natalie to a room down the hall, which held a strange contraption.

"This contains what we believe will be able to bring you back to your world and bring Bleu back to ours. Residual energy of the New Game Plus. Ironically, it was Bleu that set it loose upon our world when she used it last year. Her intentions were to help our world, which she did, but an artifact that can change reality cannot be trifled with lightly. Stray signatures showed bits of the energy still rampant, causing the unbelievable to happen. The most startling was bringing back a character that was supposed to deleted permanently. Not even having a ghost left to go to the underworld. Naturally, if this got out of control, what Bleu was working for will dissolve to nothing. That is what this device is for. It is constantly absorbing New Game Plus energy so we can use it for better - Natalie? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Natalie was starting to feel sick, her legs started to wobble. The Dark Champion caught her, and carried her out, seeking medical aid. But when walked away from the room, Natalie started to feel better. Letting her down, The Dark Champion was wondering what happened.

"I don't know. It was if the machine was draining all of my energy. But why? You said it only absorbs - " She stopped and looked at her arms, activating her powers while getting closer back to the absorber. And in a flash, the glow she was generating was being pulled away from her. She pulled back before any harm could be done and quickly put 2 and 2 together. "The energy that brought us here didn't just do that. We must have been infused with it, when we came to your world! That's why we can do what we do!"

She was a little loud due to her excitement, so the others could hear her down the hall. This new development intrigued them, imagining new possibilities of how they could use this to their advantage. But she was already one step ahead of them.

"If I learn how to control this so I don't get severely drained, I can be able to give you as much energy as you need, enough to bring Bleu back!" Nearly everyone jumped up at that, seeing an opportunity to accelerate their plans. Maybe even before the heroes and the other outsiders showed up.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Samael flew in and got a little too close to Natalie. "We only need a little more energy to get going. Normally it would have taken a day or two, but with you, we can shorten it to a few hours!" Natalie smiled, glad she was able to be of help like she hoped, while the Dark Champion was concerned for Natalie's safety around the machine, and wondering why he was concerned at all.

—

Just about everyone willing to participate was gathered in Planeptune, since that, of all places, had the easiest entrance to Hell. They all urged the CPUs to stay behind, in case anything worse happened. Even Neya, Geya, Pipin, and Swanson remained back.

Some were used to the idea of traveling down to Hell itself. Arle Nadja knew all about Lyla's Ruins, some of the Playstation All-Stars had prior experience too, while another handful said they had put up with worse.

This wasn't going to just the surface of Hell however. No, everyone had to reach the freezing bottom.

Michael had cheered up a little bit when Blanc explained to him that even she fought with the other CPUs. Quarrels and debates maybe have gone too far in the past, but she knew her friendship with the others came first.

He understood what she meant, and wanted to make it up to the others.

"So how are we going to do this? We split up into parts?" Corrin wondered.

"We're all going down either way, but at the same time, it probably will get crowded if descriptions of that place are true." Sonic prepared himself, he had heard stories from Arle about the place. As did Mega Man, and they both believed her.

On one end, was Mario and various Smash Bros. characters— even ones who weren't around for the fourth game, along with Sabre and Michael.

The other had Master Chief, along with a still somewhat depressed Caela, leading Microsoft forces, and Rin joining for medical purposes.

The Playstation All-Stars… P-Man and Kratos were acting as if someone was missing, and Nick didn't know why.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Nick asked.

"Nearly every All-Star is here, except two, neither of whom we have any way of contacting." Kratos felt there wasn't any other option but to just give up on their return. "We shall have to move along then when the order is given—"

"Who would those two be, exactly?"

Kratos looked to see where the familiar voice was coming from, as did Sir Daniel and PaRappa. Standing there from a distance, was Colonel Radec, his uniform rather scratched up. compared to how it was in the past. "What? But how!? None of us were able to inform you about—"

PaRappa was cut off by a girl, looking no older than seventeen or eighteen years, wearing a mage's outfit and hat. "Long time no see, everyone." She smiled, which lead to quite a few of the All-Stars running up to her.

She took of her hat, revealing familiar, long, light-blonde hair. "Pupuru! Is it really you!? You look completely different like Kratos!" Kat exclaimed. Toro began hugging her, as did PaRappa and Spike— who had also aged quite a bit.

"We returned after a couple of years of being unable to locate Pupuru's father. We had asked many throughout Gamindustri itself, but very little leads properly matched to anything." Radec explained to them. "During our travels, we had witnessed someone trying to gather some form of energy. Mentions of the CPUs were made, and we grew enough concern to find where the rest of you lot were."

"Huh, didn't expect you to be actually care about them." Samus remarked, irking the Helghast. He remembered that bounty hunter all too well, and wasn't going to try to acknowledge her presence right now.

"Energy? That must have to do with the New Game Plus! Who was gathering it exactly?" Cole asked.

"Weirdo army that looked like they were made out of paper. I think we were in Lowee when we decided to turn around." Pupuru replied, sounding a lot more mature and confident than she did years ago.

Nick went ahead and explained everything that had happened to colonel and sorceress. Noticing Caela was still upset however, Glacius tried to strike a conversation with her. "You still seem upset even when your friends are more encouraged to go along with this. I do not mean to pry, but what exactly is bothering you, Caela?"

She was almost afraid to say it, or speak with Michael and Nick on what happened before. "I argue too much with the others, and it made Natalie not want to be friends with us anymore. We always defended the side we're on, and ignored our flaws, snapping at each other, and even those who were uninvolved."

Truth be told, Glacius had heard a situation like this before. "Tell me Caela, have you heard of the Console Wars?" She thought it over, it was the sort of thing she and her friends did now that she thought about it. Arguments over the best console, most of these happened online, but for them, it was a daily dosage in real life.

"In a way, yes."

"Probably not the one of our world though, I assume."

"What do you mean?"

"In our world, the CPUs used to be at constant war with each other." Glacius replied, "throughout the years, lives were lost. Particularly, Neya and Pipin were killed within the war. Bleu had been somewhat lucky, and survived her fall from Celestia, the heavens of this land. At such a cost, she lost her nation and all faith that powered her. She spent her time trying to find a way to fix everything.

"Neptune was the one who eventually ended their fights over being the True Goddess— or god, in Pipin's case. Since then, the only 'Console War' we've had was icons such as myself battling other characters. It was all to see who truly was the greatest, but even then, it lead to harm. Now, we do not dare attempt these violent competitions anymore. All of this is why, I suggest you and your friends do not make the same mistake, and try to make peace with each other now. It is fine to have a little debate every now and then, but when it leads to anger…"

Caela just stared at him, wide-eyed. She understood what he meant. If they all kept fighting, it would lead to something worse, and Natalie was simply doing what Neptune would have: try to make a truce between all parties.

Even if Michael was always too hard on Microsoft, she wanted to forgive her friends. "Thanks Glacius, I'm going to try to patch things up right now." Walking away from the alien, and over towards Michael, she was a bit worried on how this would turn out.

"Michael?" His attention turned to Caela, who was nervous. "I… I want to say sorry. I get extremely defensive over Microsoft, and you know what? Sometimes… you're right, they aren't always perfect." She sighed, "The Red Ring of Death, as you mention? That was a huge mistake. The Kinect I like, but there wasn't enough to hold it up compared to the Wii. I get your disappointment over Banjo and Conker's treatment over the years too, along with the loss of Donkey Kong Racing with some other sequels—"

"I was too hard on Microsoft." Michael cut her speech short. "Sorry, it's just, I'm actually jealous of some of the new stuff that became Xbox-exclusive from Rare being bought. Like Viva Piñata, Kameo, Ghoulies, the entirety Rare Replay… and the new Killer Instinct has the Battletoads, who haven't been seen in years. Not to mention, the Xbox One is still going in terms of sales and productions, while the Wii U is going to be put down soon. I'm looking forward to the Switch, but… it feels like Nintendo didn't know what to do."

Both of them went quiet as Nick had been listening to them, unsure if he should admit defeat too this time or not.

He made his decision when we walked over to them. "It's my fault the most. I just liked Playstation so much that it went to my head. The innovation, the characters, the sales, I got involved in the ego trip too much that I never acknowledged its problems. The network hack, lower graphics capability, no mention of some mascots for years, I chose to ignore it all. Never admitting any faults, and never recognizing the achievements of other consoles, even with games such as Super Mario 64 and Halo, which revolutionized gaming."

Caela and Michael smiled as they were amazed as Nick showed an amazing amount of growth compared to what they would usually get from him. "And there one thing that our consoles have in common. The people behind them never gave up when there was a problem. They would take care of the problem and make sure that they players were happy. It's time we learned from that. It's time we admit and fix our mistake, and get our friend back." He stuck his hand out palm down, not a hint of wavering in his eyes. Michael and Caela knew what it meant and put their hands on top of his.

"For our friendship."

"For the gaming world."

"For Natalie."

Nick said that last part under his breath, as they prepared to do a "go, team", but in the moment of raised spirits, they activated their respective glows, and caused them to flow together, causing a unique reaction.

FLASH!

A brilliant release of light caused the three outsiders to sprawl back, and all the characters were stunned at the sudden outburst of power. Several of them rushed over to provide any required aid.

"What happened?" Samus was scanning the area in case it was the start of an attack as Cole prepared a healing pulse for the three. "I don't know, it was like, when we unified, so did our glows, and something happened, but I don't know what. It felt weird though."

"I think because it was incomplete." Caela said getting up. "For me, it felt like something was missing. I think we need all four of us together in order to realize what new power we've got."

"All the more reason to get going." Michael was walking towards the transports. "Time to do a final check of the teams."

On the Lowee side was nearly every Smasher imaginable— except the Koopalings— Ness tried to hide his shock over the fact a certain character amongst the Microsoft crew had returned, while Cloud and Snake glanced at the Playstation All-Stars.

Lasation had all of the All-Stars, minus Evil Cole. In his place however, was Morrigan, Laharl, Raziel, Valvatorez, Pupuru, Nikki, Gex, Blasto, Scissorman, Abe, Dart, Crash, Spyro, Kutaro, Iota, Chou-Chou, Joel…

Yeah, it was worth his sacrifice, now that Nick thought about it. Though, those last two were very out of place since they lacked a reasonable rival, and Pupuru's original rival was not present.

Leanbox had the most interesting line-up arguably. There was the line-up from the previous clash in Gamindustri, and those who helped during the attack against the Basilicom. Rash, one of the Battletoads, was joining to help—

Calea instantly noticed Stubbs, with some kind of paper talisman on his head. Everyone on the Microsoft side instinctively looked at Reimu. "Huh? Don't look at me! I didn't do it!" She then averted her eyes to Rin Satsuki.

"It's a, um, Taoist talisman. He's a jiangshi, right? It was to limit his actions, so he only take orders from us."

"Jiangwhat?" Captain Smiley asked.

"He isn't a jiangshi, he's just a classic zombie, but… thanks anyway?" Frank West said.

"Hey, throw one on the Gunstringer while you're at it." Reimu joked.

The Gunstringer merely grumbled at the shrine maiden's jab, and Rin stared at him. It probably wouldn't even work on him, though now she wondered if it was worth trying.

And finally, there was Planeptune's side, one who wasn't sure on coming or not, but decided they would help win Natalie back. Sonic would normally be with the Smash Bros., but he switched to lead the SEGA characters.

Ulala, Arle Nadja, Beat, NiGHTS, Alex Kidd, Xavier Pendragon, Vectorman, Ristar, Akira Yuki, Bahn, Chuck D. Head, Billy Hatcher, Amigo, AiAi, Gilius Thunderhead, Toejam and Earl…

And Earthworm Jim, somehow. Sonic definitely noticed something odd about him being there out of everyone. "When did you decide to come to Planeptune?"

"Interplay is using the poor ClayFighters for money, I'm here to get away while I still can." He replied. "Sadly, I couldn't convince Bad Mr. Frosty to come with me. He said he prefers Lowee."

"Let's go already!" Casting a light spell in her hands, Arle began approaching the ruins. One that everyone proceeded with absolute caution, especially those who did not know what laid beyond, once they began their descent.

The first thing that was noticed right away, was the amount of damage done to the ruins over the past couple of years. The walls and floors looked as if they had been totaled. Not entirely a bad thing, as it prevented things from going in a single line.

—

"Mercury is…"

Dr. Nefarious had completely frozen up. Mercury was mutilated, her power source removed, and he had a feeling Lumine suffered a similar fate. Lawrence could not even finish his sentence, the very sight of the robotic CPU was hard to look at, or describe. He had to keep it short, even if it hurt his master— which normally, he wouldn't mind, but in this case…

"… No longer able to function, sir."

There wasn't anything to say. The guilt of losing Ruukoto was catching up to him all over again. He had disregarded all lives of other robots underneath him in the past, but—

Ruukoto was special, and he did take pity on her. After she willingly destroyed herself to save others, to save Dr. Nefarious. No one had done that for him before. He had a feeling Mercury, as powerful and ruthless as she was, would do the same.

He had a feeling Scervo would do the same, as cruel and greedy he could be too, he had also rescued Dr. Nefarious, and tried to get his own brother, Dreadfuse, back from a truly evil force.

Yes, they were all cold, emotionless machines. That is what most would think. They needed to save Lumine, and fast— no, they also needed to avenge Mercury, against the squishes who did this.

Those human outsiders. It had to be _them._


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

 **A Ruined Descent**

Histoire had been doing research for over a day or two.

The New Game Plus energy was scattered when used, and various villains had been collecting whatever remained. Some even reached the outside world— one where video games were all just entertainment, like books and movies.

Bleu had been sent there of all places, which led to the four outsiders coming to Gamindustri.

"Could it also have to do with…? No, surely not." Histoire began biting her fingernails, unsure whether to look even further. She had to know, who or what was behind that relic.

The circumstances could be disastrous otherwise. Histoire had no other choice but to hurry and find the answer, so everyone else could know what to watch out for.

That was when a message suddenly popped up. Histoire jumped, nearly falling off of her tome, as she answered it.

"Greetings, Planeptune oracle." Dr. Eggman smirked.

"Dr. Eggman? Why are you contacting me of all people?"

"Are you aware of the fact one of my old robots had been taken, and used by someone from Lastation?"

There was a bit of a pause. "Yes, I was informed of it while doing research. The CPU of robots, correct?" She sighed at him, annoyed at Eggman for creating something so violent. "Why are you asking me about this though?"

"Where is she right now?"

"We had her, but… lost her."

"I see." He continued smiling, evilly at that, which unnerved Histoire.

"What are you up to?"

"Now, do not jump to conclusions. I simply need information for you! I'm fully aware right now is a bad time to plot schemes… Tell me, what is going on right now?" Not wanting to spill everything to him, Histoire informed Eggman of the situation in small doses, which was oddly enough, all he needed to know.

—

The tarnished ruins had split paths, all which could lead anywhere.

"Oh boy, here's the part where each party has to pick a specific path." Daxter joked, trying to get a response that agreed with him. "Which way to do we—"

Michael chimed in first. "Left!"

"Right!" Caela responded.

"Then we'll take the road second to the right!" Nick declared.

Sonic looked at the path second to the left, finding no better options but to do that way by default.

With that, they all went their separate ways. The SEGA characters had the advantage of Arle lighting the way, and with how much Pupuru matured as a sorceress, she was able to do the same for the All-Stars. The Smash Bros. asked Luigi to turn on a flashlight, since none of the Pokémon had a particular move on them.

The Microsoft crew… wasn't so lucky. Sam Fisher had night vision goggles, at the very least. For now, it seemed like they would have to feel the walls, until one of them thought of something to help see through the dark.

At the very least, everyone hoped Walters's sanity could withstand these ruins, as he wasn't always stable, and none of them had any clue as to what laid in Lyla's Ruins.

—

Despite the shape it was in, it was clearly the same old Lyla's Ruins as ever. Especially evident when Arle heard the sound of a snake hissing.

"Medusa!" She exclaimed, as the other SEGA characters drew back. Out of instinct, some of them tried to not look directly at the monstrous woman with snake hair.

"I believe that is not all." Xavier then directed everyone to other monsters appearing. A lamia, a merrow, zombies, a siren, vampires, a barbegazi, and a wraith.

Earthworm Jim and Ulala used their ray-guns on the approaching beasts, Arle used an ice spell on a zombie, and Vectorman attempted firing at a vampire.

"They must be here to protect something!" Akira kicked back the barbegazi, while a lamia nearly bit his ankle.

"Or we had the unfortunate luck of walkin' in on some monsters' home." Beat suggested, trying to avoid the aggressive siren.

Sonic did a homing attack to knock down the merrow, which got him a little closer to the passageway they came from. He took a look inside and didn't like what he saw. "They got friends coming, and I can't see any end to them!"

Earthworm Jim stretched his head towards Arle. "Which way are we supposed to go?" He asked before snapping his head back to whip the vampire in front him.

"This way." Arle pointed in a direction where there weren't any monsters at the moment. "Okay then." Sonic started heading there. "It's where we're supposed to go anyway, let's try to lose them, but if they get too close, feel free to blast them!" The SEGA team followed Sonic, doing whatever they could to lose their pursuers.

Most of the Microsoft characters were feeling really ridiculous. They were going through everything they had to try and get some light, and the best thing they could come up with was one of Frank West's televisions. And that wasn't providing much visibility, so Sam Fisher was stuck at the front to guide them. But they were still going in blind, and were forced to take turns holding Stubbs's hands so he wouldn't get lost.

Walters was amazed he hasn't already gone into one of his episodes with all the intensity around him. He mind was acting a lot clearer, and his Yithian powers were acting much sharper, which was why he was able to detect the incoming attack to Fisher.

"Look out!" He reached out and pulled Fisher back before he was hit by a long, green arm that flapped back when it retracted.

Lights were suddenly turned on— mainly by Madotsuki, who remembered she had the Lamp Effect— showing a group of faces that made the Gunstringer reach for his guns. "I was hopin' word of yer escape was false. But now I get the pleasure of takin' ya down all over again."

Wavy Tube Man stood back up as the way a wavy man could, showing the Oil Baron, the Madam, the Beard Master, and the Lady of the Dead. The other characters could only stand there, trying to process what was going on. Reimu looked at the Gunstringer. "Are these the people you told us about?"

"Yep, the same posse that betrayed and killed me. Thought I took 'em down, but like me, they also don't know how ta stay down."

"Of course, I say, of course, you're going to know right now." The Oil Baron readied his weapons with the others, ready to shot. "Once you're the one sent down there that is, my boy!"

The Gunstringer reciprocated, aiming his guns, but was surprised to see the rest of the team doing the same, getting ready to fight. "What are you doing? This is my fight."

"Not now. This is now a fight that affects all of us. And also, you don't have to fight alone anymore. You have a new posse now, us." The Gunstringer was surprised to see Reimu say that, given how much they argue, but when everyone nodded in agreement, the Gunstringer started to wonder if he was feeling his heart again.

Grinning, he readied his guns. "Then let's give 'em backstabbers a shoot-out they're never gonna forget!"

Once again, Rin was conflicted, she almost wanted to tell them to stop, and give them a chance, but after what she was told before, and what happened last time…

But one look at the Lady of the Dead, and nothing more, told her that they were definitely a wicked bunch. "I'll help too. If they really did betray and kill you, I'm going to punish them, rather than show mercy!"

Surprised to hear her joining too, the Gunstringer grinned. "That's what I like ta hear, cherry pie! Outside gal, you better help too!" Caela prepared to change into another character, ready to join in without much else to say.

Conker though, was chuckling uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Captain Smiley asked.

" _Cherry pie…"_

Captain Smiley paused for a moment, before also laughing along with Frank West. "When you're done joking, we have to finish these fiends off!" Caela yelled back to them.

"I've been waiting for you."

Michael halted, along with every single one of the Smashers plus Sabre. Zazan stood there, straight ahead, Luigi pointing his flashlight at the Anglarian. He freaked out for a moment, only to be reassured by Mario.

"I could have called upon the air of the X-Naut forces for assistance, but what's the use really? I know for a fact Lord Crump can't fight without the use of some mech. None of us can risk Lyla's Ruins being destroyed any further, really."

"So, if the Anglar Empire is involved," Michael wondered, "why is it only you? Weren't there more?"

Zazan didn't react much, keeping his cool, even with the numbers against him. "You must forget, certain events were erased, thanks to your CPU's arrangements. The Emperor never met any other parties outside of Venom… except for one."

"Who are you anyway, you finned freak!?" Falco yelled.

"You don't recall the Anglar Empire, because our invasion didn't occur. Don't worry about that."

"You realize that there are many of us, and one of you?" Roy taunted.

"Incorrect, I have help. A two-man army is enough to keep you at bay."

"And if you fail?" Samus questioned.

"Then as much as the Emperor does not want me to… I will try, no matter how much is taken out of me, just to keep you from seeing those down below. Hell is no different than the depths of an ocean, some would say."

Link couldn't help but respect the Anglarian's devotion, something a few others actually agreed on. "Even with such numbers stacked against me, I have more than enough equipment to keep you all at bay."

"That's still not a problem, who is your help anyway—" Captain Falcon prepared himself for the fight about to happen, only for his mood to instantly swing at who he saw, walking to Zazan's side out of nowhere seemingly.

There stood Octoman, with some kind of blaster in each of his six, useable tentacle-arms.

"Wha…? Weren't you the guy chatting with the others before near the boxing ring!?" Little Mac exclaimed.

"Someone deciding to play traitor, huh?" Bowser growled.

"Octoman… why!? What are you doing!?" Captain Falcon couldn't hide his shock, breaking his usual character by a tee.

Octoman winced at their words, a look of utter guilt in his eyes. "Do not blame Octoman for his decision," Zazan spoke, "his planet is in dire need of money. Due to the lack of F-Zero races, because of the CPU not holding anything for nearly ten years, yes…? The Emperor paid him a wealthy amount, for whenever his services were needed."

Michael definitely remembered Octoman's… somewhat random appearance during the Anglar Blitz. It wasn't a surprise, and playing the F-Zero games, he completely understood Octoman's choice.

"It's not just for Takora," Octoman murmured, "I'm worried about the other racers. What if they start to vanish, without fulfilling their dreams? Captain Falcon, understand where I'm coming from! I simply—"

"He's your competition in races, almost never losing?" Zazan asked, smirking as he took out a Plasma Launcher. "If we finish him here, then he won't be in you, or anyone else's way to victory, once things are arranged to make F-Zero remembered again."

Zazan was one thing, but someone able to carry multiple weapons against the various Smashers, was going to prove to be more of a challenge. Sabre walked up to the both of them, taking out his sword. "Unlike the other cads you work with, I get where you two are coming from, but I'm going to cut you short!"

"Interesting," Zazan mumbled, "you had a chance to take out Fox, and get your title back… for what reason?"

"I would rather have a peaceful life in Lowee. Maybe you and your Emperor should consider doing the same!"

With that, their fight began.

—

The All-Stars were walking down, with Pupuru leading the way with her magic. Knowing the horrors that lay within they all had their weapons and such pointed at the walls, floors, ceilings, anywhere that something or someone might pop up of. But nothing prepared them for what was going after them in the name of vengeance.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, SQUISHES - AAAAAAAAAAA!"

Dr. Nefarious had to quickly duck behind some rubble. The All-Stars' current high-strung mood cause them to instantly fire at the outburst, almost turning him into scrap metal. They calmed down after they realized who it was, but Nefarious wasn't happy, grumbling as he climbed back up. "Nefarious. Finally come to join the party? Or here for another robot-centered plan?"

"Neither. I am here to get the outsider squishies, to avenge Mercury!" Everyone looked at Nick, who just stood there confused. "Huh? What do you mean? You make it sound like she's dead."

"She is! And it's _all your FAAAAAAAAAAAAA -_ "

" _Oh Lance, if you are a werewolf, and I am a whowolf, our love cannot be! What will we do?"_

Lawrence appeared to smack Nefarious on the head yet again. "Do pardon me."

" _UUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLT!_ "

"What are you talking about? We beat her, yeah, but we took her in to question her, not finish her! And when she escaped with Lumine, she was still alive!"

It took him two seconds to realize what he said. "Lumine! I knew that bucket of bolts was up to no good! He must have attacked Mercury after they escaped!"

"Lies! All lies! You squishies cannot be trusted!"

"You can ask Lumine yourself! He might be where we're headed!"

"This is a trick!"

"No it's not! Look, just follow us for now, and if Lumine isn't there, we'll take this outside, just you and me, ok?"

Nefarious was about to disagree, but realized that he was currently outnumbered. So he decided to play it safe, for now. He walked next to them along with Lawrence and Scervo and they continued their way down the hall.

They eventually made it to a large room where the other hallways connected. "Alright, this should be where the final entrance to Hell is. Let's just hope the others make it here ok - what was that?"

Sounds of conflict were coming from one of the other halls, including a lot of gunfire. They saw a floating woman that looked like a malnourished corpse running from Gunstringer, Reimu, and Caela, leading the rest of the Microsofties. "Jest you is left, darlin'. Jest like last time!"

From another hall, a fishman and octopus man were running out, trying to provide cover fire for themselves. "Now shoot the ceiling to seal the entrance!" Before anyone could stop them, they caused a cave-in, blocking the tunnel. "That should buy us some - uh!"

The stones were blasted away, revealing a Regirock standing there, before turning back to Michael. Zazan looked and saw the other two teams that arrived. "It appears that we are at a tactical disadvantage. We must give it our all for the others to succeed!" The three remaining enemies stood together, ready to destroy as many as possible. The tension was interrupted by sudden rumbling. Everyone turned to see the SEGA characters running for their lives as they were being chased by near-about every monster in Lyla's ruins.

The Lady of the Dead took advantage of the situation, and used her magic to take control of every monster that came, gaining an army to block the heroes' path. "What is this? She could never do 'er power like this before!"

"I can answer that." Caela stuck her arm forward while making it glow. "While we were fighting the Posse, I felt some kind of resonance with my glow and their abilities. I think they've been strengthened by the New Game Plus energy."

"And now the energy is passed to the monsters when I linked them to my will. Any last words, 'heroes'?"

"Just three." Nick stepped forward as he readied an AK-47. "Long Live Play."

Michael stepped forward with Samus's Arm Cannon. "Play it Loud."

And Caela stepped forward with a Halo Battle Rifle. "Jump in."

The rest followed in their spirit, readying themselves and going in for what was probably their most important fight yet. Everyone on both sides did a united battle cry as both sides charged forward.

Octoman wasn't sure what to do, Zazan said to keep firing but he had a feeling this would be it. The end of him would be near, and for betraying, he would surely be sent to the lowest circle. He anticipated one of them coming after him, and sure enough, Ganondorf and Wolf did, since the outsiders focused more on the monsters and the Lady of the Dead.

He tried to fire at them both, only to hear a familiar yell.

"Falcon Kick!"

Captain Falcon kicked Octoman down, rather than the other two reaching him first. "Listen Octoman, this isn't you! I get your concerns… but is this really worth it?"

"It's for the other racers and my planet."

"But Octoman! If you die here, you'll never see anyone from Takora again! I know you, you have a family! Do you want your children to wonder whatever happened to you!?"

"The Anglar Emperor—"

"Tell the Emperor's servant to quit it too!" Marth chimed in. "His loyalty is admirable, but it's in the wrong place!"

The uncertainty was eating Octoman more and more… but Captain Falcon was right. He couldn't dare think of leaving his family behind, even for whatever lives and games began to vanish.

He lowered his blasters, Zazan took quick notice of it. "Octoman? Shoot them! They are close to you—"

"Zazan, this is enough!" Pointing the weapons at the Anglarian, Zazan felt a short moment of panic, but knew well that Octoman wouldn't shoot him really. "Do you not fear of what would happen if the Emperor learned of your demise?"

"Sadness, but my liege would pull through—"

"No they would not! Their fury and sudden depression over the loss of your life would mean they would have no protection, and had lost their closest ally!"

The words made Zazan show his teeth, growling at Octoman for defying him— no, for defying the Anglar Emperor, more like. Not to mention, now it was two, plus several monsters, against many characters.

The monsters were being blown away, even when the Lady of the Dead tried bringing them back and increasing their power, it wasn't enough. "I'll do the former at the very least, and try to protect the Emperor." Zazan took out a grenade, tossing it the ground. "This is not over."

Shocked to see one retreating, and another changing his mind, the Lady of the Dead hissed at them both. "What sort of weak fools are you? Must I do this myself?"

"No use in that!" Caela yelled, blowing up the remains of a merrow with the Battle Rifle. "After this, you'll all be— Agh!"

The grenade Zazan dropped finally went off, leaving a flash of light. The Lady of the Dead used this to her advantage, bringing in more monsters, as she was far too stubborn to back down.

Since nearly everyone was blinded, with the very exception of a handful of monsters. Fisher wasn't able to see even with his goggles, as he attempted to readjust them. "That was a really strong flash," Snake grunted, "I still can't see a thing, it would be too much of a shot in the dark to try and shoot at anything."

"Don't you mean shot in the light?" Raiden replied.

"I think I hear a zombie close by!" Captain Blasto pointed a ray-gun at whatever was approaching him, and fired.

"Brains!?" Stubbs felt the impact of the blast instead, interrupting his attempt of trying to eat the brains of other monsters.

"Was that Stubbs you just shot? I hope that piece of paper didn't fall off his head from that just now." Master Chief said to himself, also unable to see.

Neither the outsiders or anyone else present could see a thing. By the time a few could see a bit more clearly again, there were still spots before their eyes.

They were trapped, and the Lady of the Dead began laughing maniacally. The monsters, who had no need for their sight and could rely on sense, drew closer, particularly, a vicious Garuda lunged at Sir Daniel, getting ready to peck out his remaining eye.

That was when a bolt of lightning struck the bird, which let out a painful screech, that pierced the hearing of many. "Pardon me for a moment, I am afraid I was late to this party."

Standing tall and having just entered, was Zarok. Holding his pitchfork high and smirking. "Ah, I have heard of you, wizard." The Lady of the Dead grinned widely at his presence. "What a pleasant surprise! But to see you helping them?"

"Please, my pitiful voodoo queen, no one is allowed to torment Forty besides me. Plus, I have unfinished business with that cigar-chomping book thief and that angel. Shall I show you real magic now?" Zarok merely tapped the ground with his pitchfork, zapping the monsters that the Lady had under her fingers.

Rather than taking them under his control, which he could not, due to the amount of power the Lady of the Dead currently had, the best Zarok could do was destroy them utterly, without any means of returning.

The sound of an erhu echoed through the ruins, as everyone's vision was restored to normal. Everyone had their sights on the Lady of the Dead— except for Glacius, who was trying to help Stubbs get back up.

She was cornered thanks to Zarok, ready to finally make an escape, the Lady of the Dead turned around, only to bump into Octoman, still holding all of his weapons. "Zazan may have ran, but I do not think anyone will allow you to do the same. I think you should have done the same as him earlier."

Michael, Nick, and Caela all took aim at her, sealing the voodoo queen's fate as she screamed in fury. Breaking into various puppet parts, Zarok watched in amusement as Caela went the extra mile to even break every remaining piece. Now at least, Dr. Nefarious and Scervo knew it was a bad idea to cross them or start a fight, Octoman had the same thought in mind, glad he made the choice to stop himself.

"So," Scissorman wondered, "you knew her, wizard?"

"When you get stuck in Hell for a long time, you start to meet quite the characters. I knew her husband while I was down there."

"Husband…?" The Gunstringer murmured.

Octoman gave his farewells, and wished good luck for the others, apologizing for his actions before as he left the ruins. Captain Falcon certainly hoped the best for him, his family, and Takora…


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

 **Circles**

It felt empty.

After traveling to the 100th floor of Lyla's Ruins, which some remembered, while others were in awe at how unusually elegant the structures became. Yet, it also didn't feel right.

Arle, as well as any other SEGA character, knew this is where someone such as Satan would reside in. But he was nowhere to be found, in the center of the maze.

"I don't get it, this is the entrance to Hell, isn't it?" Donte asked.

"It is, I can definitely feel it." Jack Walters replied, as if starting to have a vision.

They were all stumped. Was it possible, that they had to go down… even further?

"Would it be too dangerous to try and, y'know, see if there's anything more underneath here?" Chou-Chou wondered, examining the layout. "It's too bad though really, this place would be great for an undisputed god like me!"

"No way, a demon lord like me should get this cool dungeon!" Laharl yelled in response. "I say don't even try to damage any of this!"

"Enough of the whining from you Playstation kids!" Bowser roared, starting to stamp his feet on the ground in anger. He didn't realize that Laharl and Chou-Chou were well over thousands of years old, but that particularly didn't matter to him.

Big Daddy watched him, and then had an idea, starting to slam his drill into the ground repeatedly, similar to how Bowser was reacting. "What's he doing!? This place could collapse!" Lucina exclaimed.

"The pink one just asked if anything was underneath, so I think he's just following Bowser's actions for progress." Robin replied, able to understand tactics, even if they belonged to unusual monsters. "It's very risky still, but unless we can think of a more safe option—"

"Uhhh… I got one. How about not doing this?" Banjo suggested, clearly afraid for whatever the outcome was going to be. Before long, Big Daddy managed to break through, surprising nearly everyone with how suddenly he fell into the hole that was made.

"Mr. Bubbles!" Little Sister cried.

"Well, uh, there's our entrance, I hope?" Samus looked down, while Luigi carefully pointed his flashlight, terrified at the thought of falling down in there with Big Daddy. However, the light didn't do much, as it was almost nothing but an abyss.

"Who wants the honors of going down there to see if he's safe, and if it's okay for us to jump down? Preferably, someone who can fly?" Sonic asked, as Madotsuki turned on her Lamp Effect again.

"N-not me, Kazooie can only flutter for a short amount of time!" Banjo stammered.

"Only because of how fat you are."

"I vote Reimu." Voodoo Vince suggested.

"Me? Why not Rin? She can fly too!"

"No way! Th-that's… I mean, by myself?"

"Miko, don't go throwin' cherry pie out there 'cause yer lazy."

"I could go down there probably, my electricity may—"

"Poyo!" Cole was interrupted by Kirby, who instantly jumped down there without another thought.

Jigglypuff followed soon after, shocking them even further. "You two! Stop! You do not know what could be down there!" Meta-Knight chased after, Pit and NiGHTS joining. Now Cole felt like there was no other option.

Activating Clank's Heli-Pack, Ratchet joined as well, along with Kat. "We'll let you guys know what's down there before you decide to jump in too, alright?"

With that, they went down into what may very well be, the start of Hell's many circles.

—

"My liege, I bring unfortunate news." Zazan was able to travel down to the lowest circle as quickly as possible, catching his superiors by surprise. "It seems Octoman will no longer be in our services, many from above are on their way."

"What!? I thought Octoman wanted to get paid for this!" Natalie could hear the Anglar Emperor yelling from nearby, curious as to what the fish was upset about. "Bah, no matter, I still have you. If anything, I am happy you ran back here to inform me. You must have been outnumbered, I assume."

"Things were in our favor, that one voodoo woman was able to control every monster in the ruins. I only escaped, to let you know."

Lord Crump halfway expected the Anglar Emperor to berate Zazan in the same way Sir Grodus does to him, however, the reaction was not one he expected. "Better you return than let yourself get killed out there. If anything, I doubt a mere puppet stood a chance against so many, plus those three outsiders. We can both handle it now, at least."

Natalie's head shot up when the mention of the outsiders. "What? They're here too?"

"Yes. They were the first to charge at the monsters when she got them under her control. I daresay they've been leading the fight for most of the way. I've never seen such determination and a sense of unity."

Natalie's head was spinning from all that. The three of them? Working together? She could understand them being determined, but it was always for undermining each other and strengthening their own egos. Working together seemed impossible for the likes of them. What are they fighting for? She said she was through with them. What do they hope to gain?

"Oh dear." Samael did playful worried face as he turned towards Natalie. "It seems like those nasty people who want to hurt us are coming already. I think it might be a good idea to continue supplying the energy we need."

"But Samael, she still hasn't fully recharged from the last session - "

"I'm alright. I can continue. You need this to save someone exiled to another world. I'll gladly do what I can to make this possible. And the sooner we do this. The more of a chance we have to go before they arrive. I hope so, because I never want to see them again."

"You heard her, D.C., to the machine." The Dark Champion lead Natalie to the syphon, with some guilt growing in him. This girl was going to give her all to help them and stood up for him and others repeatedly, and he was repaying her by potentially draining her dry. He began to regret lying to her, and secretly hoped the others would show to stop him.

—

Cole used his electricity to light the darkness carefully, seeing Big Daddy on the ground. It was quite a long way down, but they made it. He didn't appear too harmed either.

"Poyo!" Trying to help him back up, Kirby and Jigglypuff tried to use their strength, only to get comically flattened by Big Daddy. Ratchet couldn't help but chuckle at their attempt, while Meta-Knight glared at him.

"I'll help him in a moment, I just need to make sure of something." Cole held his hand up to what appeared to be a plaque of some kind against the ruined, dry, orange-colored walls.

 _Limbo._

They didn't cross a river, nor did they enter a gate, just entered Hell straight away before hope could be abandoned. It was far too quiet, as if lacking in inactivity. Frighteningly so, it acted more like just an entryway.

"Should I tell the others it's safe to come down, or should we wait a bit?" Ratchet asked.

"I shall fly back up and guide them down safely, if that is the case. Unless there is yet another alternate, and safer entrance." NiGHTS said, going back above with Pit. Big Daddy groaned as Cole, having a bit more strength than the two puffballs, tried to help him back up next.

One by one, the other characters that could fly, guided a bit by sparks of electricity, were lead down to the first circle of Hell. Michael, Nick, and Caela simply did it themselves by turning into other characters.

The unease was creeping up on some of them. If this was Hell, they feared who they may encounter on such a travel. Especially those who had truly died in Gamindustri, and had no chance of return.

"If you ever see someone you recognize here in Hell," Zarok advised, "do not look at them. They may notice you, and come after you." He smirked at Sir Daniel, wondering if he would ever run into someone he had to unfortunately kill.

Madotsuki began to tremble, wondering if the place would be a maze, just like in her dream world. In fact, there were little differences between this place, and what she would usually see. Walters was definitely going to have an episode, which is why Master Chief wanted to be extra careful about him in particular.

It didn't take long for Limbo to be over with, nothing else to be said or seen, a staircase was at the end. Their sanity would be tested soon, along with whatever challenge lied ahead.

—

"So if we're going in order, this next one is…?" Conker asked.

"Lust, I believe." Ganondorf answered.

"Yeah, I was afraid you would say that."

An uncontrollable, stormy wind was above them all. Everyone tried their hardest to not pay any attention, and simply get to their destination, fast.

PaRappa was one of the ones struggling the most. His flat body was like a piece of paper when hit by the winds. One was so powerful he was blown up and almost fell of the path. He would have ended with the damned if Kratos didn't catch him in time. But they weren't out of the woods. As Kratos pulled him back up, he heard a scream from below, and saw a face that looked familiar.

"Look! Look at who is here!"

"The Ghost of Sparta!"

"The one who loved us then threw us away like trash!"

"Leaving us to die like the rest of Greece when he killed the Gods!"

"We have suffered because of you, and now you will pay!"

At least fourteen women started to climb up to Kratos and the others, dressed in Greek clothing that barely covered the necessities. Their approach caused mixed reactions. Some were wondering what was going on, while others were wondering if it was worth it fighting their so-called "adversaries". Most of the All-Stars, however, were just looking at Kratos, while Sweet Tooth could barely control his laughter. It looked like they were going to engage in the weirdest fight ever when…..

"Enough of this!" Arle, charged up with magic power, walked to the edge and covered it with ice, making the women lose their grip and fall back down to the bottom, with no way back up. "We don't have time for this kind of ridiculousness. Let's go." Everyone took her lead, getting away from that awkward situation, and trying to ignore their screams.

But Nathan Drake had to ask. "Just how many - "

"Don't ask. Ever."

Emerging from the stormy clouds, was a serpent-like ship, one that the Smashers recognized all too well. "The Arrow Head, here!?" Michael exclaimed, as another ship came into view. "And the ZaZanga 9 again!"

"Quite true, we are back!" The Anglar Emperor taunted, able to transmit their voice on the communication devices of others. "Zazan informed me ahead of time that you would be coming down, and I thought it would be best if Zazan and I would be the ones to finish you off here."

Everyone readied for a fight, but they were at a clear disadvantage being unable to get in the air efficiently. But Nick had an idea. A crazy one. He put his hands together and concentrated hard. He glowed, growing bigger and bigger, until he assumed the form of Knack in his giant relics form. He lowered his hands to the ground. "Anyone with guns, I can get you a closer shot."

They were a bit hesitant, but those such as Nathan and Bayonetta knew they'd done crazier and climbed on. They were joined by Ratchet, Radec, Jak, Isaac, Emmett, Cole, Samus, Fox, Falco, Wolf, Pit, his dark counterpart, Mega Man, Master Chief, Gunstringer, Marcus Fenix, Baldur, Captain Smiley, even Ulala. All taking up various positions on his hands, arms, and head.

It actually brought a bit of difficulty for the Anglar Emperor and Zazan, as from this configuration they would be fired at no matter where they went around the titan. It didn't help that Michael and Caela joined the fight by Michael generating an Arwing and Caela latching on as a Crackdown Agent so she wouldn't fall off.

"My, how annoying. You come after me in a storm such as this? Still, I find it amusing you believe that those tiny guns will penetrate this— Gah!" The Anglar Emperor hissed, noticing the Arwing firing at the Arrow Head. "Zazan, do something about those two outsiders, I do not need any distractions!"

"Anything to protect his excellency." Zazan replied, firing at the Arwing. Michael performed a somersault, but Zazan's ship, being upgraded by some means, did the same to continue his pursuit of Michael and Caela.

"Why aren't you helping them!?" Madi yelled at Dr. Nefarious, who was taken by surprise, being distracted by the chaos.

"It ain't the doc's job to get involved with this mess, ye furball!" Scervo retorted. "We're here for Lumine— if he even is here, which I doubt very much, personally!" Madi glared at them both, wondering if they were just cowards, or complete fools. Most likely the latter though.

Noticing how the two outsiders were being targeted, Reimu and Rin flew towards the spacecraft, trying to get a good hit on Zazan. Of course, their measly shot-types were not enough, forcing Reimu to try and hurl a Yin-Yang orb at Zazan. That did not do much either though, other than a small amount of damage. With little options, they floated back to the ground.

"Should we use one of those bomb things instead?" Rin wondered.

"We only have so many of them, they can't be wasted unless we're able to find more!"

"Bomb?" Kazooie snickered. "Banjo, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

During Zazan's chase of Michael and Caela, he felt something hit the side of his ship. Something that had a lot more punch than normal. "What the—?" He grunted, looking down to see what it may have been. Kazooie was launching Grenade Eggs from afar, trying to get as much good aim as she could at the ZaZanga 9.

Michael took advantage of it, trying to do a U-turn and fire at Zazan to turn the tables back around. Noticing their battle from afar, some of the characters on top of "Knack" tried to get a shot on the ZaZanga 9 when it flew over their heads.

"W-what are you doing, you pathetic creatures!?" The Anglar Emperor stuttered, noticing how they were focused on Zazan suddenly, and two of the segments of the Arrow Head being destroyed by some stroke of luck.

"Shut it, fishy!" Wolf replied, also trying to shoot Zazan down. This lead to the Arrow Head firing ring-like lasers at "Knack", also attempting to block their path, keeping them from shooting the Emperor's right-hand.

Luck was on their side more and more, Zazan couldn't break free so well anymore, his ship finally losing complete control from the collected assault against him. "I shall not go down… without taking the opposers with me!" He growled, trying to aim his crash-landing ship to where "Knack" was.

"Knack" saw this coming and had to think fast. "Everyone! Get off my right arm! Quickly!" Everyone that was on his arm quickly ran off, scrambling to his chest, head, or back. "Knack" then concentrated his sunstone energy to his arm and used the relics that made it in a Ranged Attack, hitting the ZaZanga 9 before it got close, and making it fall down away from the others, hurting no one but Zazan.

There was a bit of a pause, until the transmission came up again. "Hah… Did you just… kill Zazan?" The Anglar Emperor smirked, teeth grinding, fin-hands clenched, trying to look menacing to the invaders.

"I'd say that fish is fried at this point!" Falco snapped.

"Uh… I think, maybe that was a little overboard." Pit said to himself.

Michael expected mockery, or belittling. It was the Anglar Emperor, after all, surely their reaction would be one that would call their underlings worthless, no different than any other fiendish antagonist.

" _ **Zazan… ZAZAN! NOOO! You killed him! You… YOU MURDERERS!"**_

The shout and sudden break of their usual charisma made everyone with a communication device wince collectively. "Oh great, now that old man is ticked off at us." Dark Pit sneered. "Bet his guard will be down now though at least!"

"You awful creatures! Monsters! I would make sure your bodies are blown away by the storm when I am done!" As the Arrow Head began firing at them more, segments were being destroyed by Michael, who could finally focus on the Emperor.

"I didn't want to, or mean to." "Knack" was getting annoyed. "I didn't even want to fight. My only goal right now is to get my friend. No confrontations. But you keep getting in my way. And since you won't move, I have to make you. But if you end this now, we can end further pain, and even see if your friend is still alive."

"Friend? He is no mere friend! Zazan was my most loyal, doting general… bodyguard…" The Arrow Head began to shift all of its parts, as if it were a grid. "No, he was _more_ than all of those things! He was there when I was in danger, when I was upset, and stood by me when the Anglar Blitz was completely retconned! I would rid the world for someone like him!"

Rather shocked to see this unusual character drift even further, "Knack" didn't know how to respond. Why would an emperor be acting this way?

Pulling him out of the damaged ship, Donkey Kong and Kratos examined Zazan's body. Sabre checked to see if he was still alive. "He's not dead, but he is injured pretty badly… Rin! Come over here and help!" He yelled, looking back at the battered and scratched up Anglarian. They hoped that Zazan wouldn't try to fight them off at least upon being restored.

With each part of the Arrow Head being flung towards them, everyone tried to send it back by firing. Each time it was done, the Arrow Head's shields weakened more.

The Anglar Emperor knew this was hopeless. "Give it up!" Michael shouted, firing one last time. Part of him, Nick, and Caela hoped that none of this would kill the Emperor. Pulling the lone head away from the grid-like structure, the engines finally being killed from the amount of damage done, the entire Arrow Head began to fall apart.

All of the portions fell to the ground, but did not explode on impact. Everyone climbed off of "Knack", and he changed back to regular form. Caela did the same, once both she and Michael landed.

Slowly, the hatch on the Arrow Head opened up, revealing an agitated, but otherwise, surprisingly unharmed Anglar Emperor… whose mustache was coming off. Michael didn't even think that it was fake, and was kinda amused to see it dangling from the Emperor's face.

"Zazan… where is he!? What have you done!? I want to see him one last time!"

"What's your problem? He's alive, DK pulled him out." Kazooie replied.

"I don't believe you!"

Palutena simply laughed. "You are quite short for an Emperor, not to mention, that silly mustache, it's all like you're trying to make up for not being so threatening after all."

"Your obsession is pretty annoying too. What? Do you love him or something?" Daxter joked, nudging Jak before getting a rather unexpected response.

"YES!"

"Haha— what?"

Pulling off the mustache completely and tossing it, the Anglar Emperor's eyes began to well up with tears, something fish shouldn't have been able to do.

All were shocked at the sudden twist, made worse when Lawrence, the only one not too surprised— besides Bayonetta— connected the dots. "Anglerfish with those lures on them… are always female, are they not…?"

Everyone was in complete silence as the Anglar Emperor looked around nervously. Michael couldn't believe he missed such a detail on a Nintendo character. Caela saw this as an interesting turn as Nick had a "Heh?" look on his face.

The reactions continued to vary among the characters. Some, such as Daxter, Sweet Tooth, Conker, and Dark Pit began to laugh uncontrollably. Kratos, Isaac, and Kameo started to feel sympathy, knowing the pain of losing a loved one. Madotsuki was confused, still having yet to learn such emotions. Arle was used to this sort of thing, but Fox and Falco were just stunned at their foe's true identity. Xavier, Stubbs, Wolf, and a few others didn't really care, and everyone else was just speechless. No one knew what to say, or how to say it.

"I don't think I can look at that Lord Woo Fak Fak guy the same way again." Banjo murmured.

"That's not all I hide!" The Anglar Emperor then began to lift her robe—

"NO! Anything but that!" Captain Smiley shouted, turning away and trying to shield Madotsuki and Ichigo. "Think of the children!"

"I'm so short I have to wear overly high heels just to have a somewhat reasonable height!" Captain Smiley stopped, then glanced back, seeing the comically oversized heels the fish had on. He was relieved, but felt like an idiot.

"Think of the children? That's plum hilarious comin' outta yer mouth, Smiley." The Gunstringer said to himself, not wanting to start an argument. During all of this, Sabre tapped the Anglar Emperor on the back, trying to get her attention.

"Zazan is going to be alright. If I were to make a suggestion, you two should try to just live your lives without any takeover, if you care that much about him. Octoman ran off not out of cowardice, but because he didn't want to die and have his family worry." Sabre suggested, towering over the Emperor.

"I… have to agree with him." Fox said, trying to get over his shock. "If the Anglar Blitz never happened— in which, it seems like it really didn't, since none of us remember those events— you should try to start over."

"That Zazan character does not seem like a bad soul of any kind either, and if you do not wish to risk his life in battles, I would also recommend turning around like Octoman." Corrin agreed.

Calming down more and more, the Anglar Emperor sighed. "I really am an awful antagonist… I am weak, for my own subordinate."

"That doesn't make you weak, it just means you have flaws, making a strong character!" Michael responded. "If anything, right now you just proved to be more interesting than I initially thought!"

"Really?"

"He isn't wrong." Caela said, shrugging a bit.

"Go take that underling of yours and marry him or something." Sweet Tooth joked.

"Kane!" Kratos snapped.

Once Rin was done restoring his stamina, Zazan's conscious began to return to him, leading to an overjoyed Emperor. "My liege…? Where is your mustache? Are you alright!? Stay away from—"

"Zazan! We're leaving!"

"— What?"

"I don't want to get into battles, if it means I lose you, do you understand that? I know you wouldn't want me gone either, so this is for the best!"

"But what about being a menace to remember? And—"

"I don't care about that, if I have you. Anymore complaints, and you have to carry me out of here! Heeheehee!"

There was a short pause between the two. "I was going to ask if you wanted that, actually." Lifting the Emperor up, the two Anglarians took their leave.

"Fitting, the one we face in the Lust circle, is one consumed by utmost desire." Bayonetta commented. "I am curious as to what this would mean for the others beyond this point. Funny how their relationship is less of an Emperor and appointed general, but more like a princess and her protective knight."

They all made their way to the staircase lying ahead. Although, Bowser looked at Ganondorf, after the both of them had to witness that madness. "Suddenly, I think we're completely normal despite our quirks."

"We? You're the one with the quirky moments." Ganondorf grumbled.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

 **The Lord of Shoreditch**

Gluttony was easy enough to pass through, nothing really caught their attention, and they were not attacked by anything either.

"Thank goodness this is over with." Bayonetta huffed.

"Why?" Pit asked, "it was pretty straightforward."

"I know that darling, it's just my heels have gotten a bit mucked up. Can't exactly go out and fight if that happens, now can I?"

Heading into greed, some of the heroes were growing confident. Perhaps, a little too confident, as their only challenge so far was the Anglar Emperor, and they were already heading for the fourth circle: Greed.

"This is too easy." Reimu commented, rolling her eyes. "So far, Makai has been much scarier than Hell. I know that's what the head maid of that mansion said, but honestly, I agree with her in that department."

"Ah, now what would you know about Makai?" Morrigan asked, Laharl and Valvatorez were curious too as to why Reimu would say that.

"I've been there, three times actually!" Reimu looked rather proud of herself. "One because an angel and yaksha ruined my shrine. Second because the goddess of the demon world was sending her creations out on a tour, then threatened to destroy me. Third to break a seal tucked away for curiosity's sake mostly."

The three demons didn't know how to feel about her walking into Makai that many times, and somehow not getting killed in the process— on top of that, somehow facing the god of their world.

"Careful with them braggin' rights, miko. Ya might jinx what happens next." The Gunstringer pointed out to her.

"Indeed, ya might bring all a' 'ell down on ya." Everyone turned to see Palethorn approaching, with some faces that were very familiar to a few.

"Hey! I know that zombie! And that one! And that one! Wait, I know all of them!" Some were justifiably disturbed that Sweet Tooth actually took the extra distance to remember the decomposing faces, but were also wondering why they were in one piece after their encounter with the clown.

"A' course ya know them. Where do ya think I got 'em in the first place? It was easy bringing 'em back a second time!"

"No doubt using my spells, like the rip-off you are." Zarok walked to Palethorn. "I'll deal with him. You can have the grunts."

Reimu, Zelda, and Ganondorf went with him. "This is bigger than whatever grudge you have. Zarok, was it? We're fighting together, and that's that." Zelda said to him, preparing her own magic.

Zarok rolled his eyes. "Fine. But the final blow is mine."

Sweet Tooth was just revving up his chainsaw like a madman. "Oh man, I don't think I've ever have the chance of killing someone twice! This is DEFINITELY gonna be fun!"

Nick just softly chuckled as he turned his right arm into Big Daddy's drill and his left arm into Alisa Bosconovitch's chainsaw arm. Caela relied on the boundless inventory of Frank West and Michael relied on the weaponry of GoldenEye 007. They lead the charge behind Sweet Tooth, ready to kill some zombies, and a little excited at fighting dinosaurs, even if it was just bone.

Back at the Ninth Circle, Samael was overjoyed. "95%! And we're just getting more! I knew having her here was a good idea! Even if it wasn't mine!"

"I hate to ruin your moment, but I have dire news." The Dark Champion walked in, making Samael grumble. "What is it?"

"It appears that the intruders have beaten the Anglar Emperor and Zazan. And not only that, they convinced them to leave the cause and abandon us. And the Emperor is actually an Empress, but that's not important…"

"Huh? He really being a she? I already knew that." The Dark Champion almost fell down at that. "It's simple biology. I'm surprised you didn't know that. How disappointing. If you were smart to convince the cutie to join us you should have know that much."

Regaining his composure, the Dark Champion continued. "Anyway, Palethorn is engaging them now in the Circle of Greed. Hopefully, it'll buy us enough time to finish charging everything."

"Then what are you waiting for! Finish it!" The Dark Champion walked to where Natalie was sitting, not looking too good. She looked like the color was getting drained out of her entire body, including her clothes. Apparently, recharging the energy took longer than dispersing it.

"Don't make such a worried look. Just give me five more minutes, and I'll be able to finish it. I'm doing it for you and your friends, so I don't mind a little fatigue." It was more than a "little fatigue", but the Dark Champion didn't want to argue, not when they were so close. He just hoped that Natalie would still be alive by the end of it.

—

"So, Histoire says they went down here?" Eggman smirked, heading down Lyla's Ruins, Orbot and Cubot by his side. This was going to prove to be quite a trial, but he was inside the Eggwalker, in case any obstacles got in his way.

Orbot didn't like the idea of this at all. They were going into Satan's territory, and besides how much Histoire unraveled, they didn't know what would be down in Lyla's Ruins. Nothing good, for certain.

"I hope you're ready for when your time comes." Dr. Eggman said to a pair of figures behind him. One of them being Metal Sonic, of course, but the other being somewhat obscured, notably a tad taller than the robotic copy of Sonic.

Without any responses other than a silent nod, the five entered Lyla's Ruins. Somewhere, someone, was going to have to deal with a new threat it seemed, in the form of another demented doctor.

As they passed through the halls of the ruins, going deeper into the labyrinth, Zazan, carrying the Anglar Emperor waited in the shadows. They had been trying to keep quiet, and stay out of the way of anyone that looked to be a threat.

Zazan and the Anglar Emperor, waiting to no longer hear the Eggwalker's clunky steps, making sure they were absolutely gone. "Another fool choosing to drag himself into this." Zazan mumbled.

Whoever it was that had to face Dr. Eggman, it seemed that he would actually pose as a threat, for once.

—

"Spirit Sign: Fantasy Seal!" Reimu called out her spellcard, clearing out a chunk of weaker zombies that stood in front of her and the others that were struggling.

"Flower Sign: Entrapping Bloom!" Rin followed up, trying to trap a group of skeletal dinosaurs and undead knights in flowery vines. Everything was tilting in their favor pretty easily, especially when the All-Stars had their Super Attacks ready.

Donte and Sir Daniel had their Level Three attacks up and going, using it to their advantage, even if for a short amount of time. Kirby inhaled some of them, but didn't get any special abilities from them. Frank West had put up with nonsense like this time and time again. Both he and Joel were the biggest experts on dealing with the undead horde.

Link, along with his Toon and Young counterparts, didn't find these zombies anywhere as difficult to deal with as ReDeads, but it felt like they kept returning each time some were killed. "Someone must have given that man a buff on his spells," Valvatorez stated, "if only there was a way to stop and distract him from constantly reviving them, even when they are shredded to pieces."

"Even with that wizard and the others trying to stand off against the foe? Are you suggesting I help them with some persuasion?" Morrigan asked, in a flirty tone, looking bored from fighting all of the corpses.

"No." Valvatorez then paused, thinking about it. "Actually, that's not a bad idea, but I think Chou-Chou might be more fit for the job." Morrigan felt rather insulted that Valvatorez would suggest the pint-sized, pink-haired goddess instead, but understood why he did.

After all, Chou-Chou had a particular ability, one that had helped the All-Stars a couple of years ago. Transforming into a preferred characteristic. It was going to be of use again right now, at least that is what Valvatorez hoped for. "Chou-Chou, see if you can get close to that man, and see what he prefers!"

"Uh, you mean captivate the guy? Actually, you know, he would make a good peon with how much he's throwing at us!" Feeling rather confident, Chou-Chou made her way over to where Zarok and a few others were trying to strike Lord Palethorn.

Zipping past a majority of the skeletal dinosaurs, and climbing on top of one of them to get a good view. Chou-Chou tried to think over her options, while examining the enemy, as she did have eight of them to use. "No, nope, nada, etcetera… Wow, uh, really? Sheesh, for someone trying to work his way up for power, I thought he would have wanted something classy." She said to herself, preparing to change forms.

Xavier, Arle, Pupuru, Robin, and Zelda struggled to keep their magic going. Even Zarok questioned how Lord Palethorn suddenly became more than equal to his power, but the answer was obvious: the New Game Plus.

When Lord Palethorn did so, he prepared to strike Zarok again just to finish him off, he saw a completely new face right behind the wizard. One that for some reason, pulled his attention away from the battle.

Tall, red hair, wearing a peaked cap, golden earrings, knee-high boots, and a rather revealing outfit. "My, you made that old fool reach his limit so soon? For hurting my allies, I think I'm going to have to punish you." Most unfamiliar with her didn't know it, but this was simply one of Chou-Chou's forms. Mainly, this was the sadistic one.

With Palethorn distracted, the zombies were a little less active, but still overwhelming. Nick was slicing up a certain zombie for the third time when he had an idea. Turning his left arm into that of Jack's from Bioshock, he used the Winter Blast Plasmid on it. Seeing that it was frozen stiff, and not coming back, he shouted out to the others. "New plan! Don't destroy them! Just render them unable to move! It'll keep them down!"

Arle and Pupuru used their ice spells, Cole used a Freeze Rocket, Isaac Clarke used his Stasis, the Ice Climbers tried a blizzard attack, Lucas and Ness both used PK Freeze, Luigi attempted to toss an Ice Ball, Kirby froze everything in front of him with ice breath, Mega Man activated his Ice Slasher, and… Mr. Game & Watch constantly spammed his Judge attack, only to get everything but an eight.

"So far, so good, do you think freezing the bones would work too?" Mega Man asked.

"Is this leading to a really bad 'what killed the dinosaurs' joke?" Arle asked back, making him laugh in response. "In all seriousness, let's test that theory! Ice Storm!"

It was a good attempt, but the dinosaurs being just bone, most of the Ice Storm just passed through them, barely freezing anything. And to make this worse, they didn't really like the chill. They went on the rampage, causing everyone to scatter. Caela ducked under some boulders, narrowly escaping a horn. She caught her breath while looking at the ground, where she started to get an idea. Looking around, confirming that there was a lot of stone to work with, she yelled out her plan.

"The stone! Melt the stone! Or turn it into lava, or something! The goal is to make an impromptu tar pit!" On that, Charizard and Bowser concentrated their fire attacks on the dinos' feet, making the rock melt, and the dinos sink. Pit and Meta Knight distracted them in the air to make sure they wouldn't move. When they sunk low enough, Greninja used his water moves to cool the rock and make it solid, trapping the dinos. Now they could walk around them, provided they stay away from their jaws and tails.

Palethorn's forces greatly weakened thanks to strategic thinking, not to mention the fact that he himself was distracted by Chou-Chou. Her attacks in the Sadist form were fire-based, and she was using a gun rather than magic, as strange of a weapon-choice that was. "You should just give up, and save yourself the humiliation that will be delivered from me. Where do you even go, if you die in Hell?"

"Nowhere," Palethorn grunted, "even if ya kill me, love, i' won't do much. I'll be back, just the rule of 'ell an' all."

"In that case, my only option is to torture you. I don't think I gave you permission to call me by names either." Chou-Chou replied.

Sweating profusely, the cigar fell out of Palethorn mouth for once. "How's about this instead, y'freak!" Trying to launch some kind of ice spell at her, Chou-Chou was knocked back before she could fire the gun in her hands again. She winced in pain, making Palethorn regain his cocky attitude. "That's more like it! Now whatcha gon' do, pretty?"

"She won't do anything, but I will!" Madi shouted, jumping up and knocking Palethorn down from where he was, despite his large build. "I won't forgive you for your betrayal earlier, it's payback time now!"

He attempted to blast magic at her and the others once again, but Zarok, getting back up, vanished in a cloud of smoke, then reappeared right in front of Palethorn, startling him. "I agree with that feline. I do not think either of us will be forgiving, whether you die, or not."

Zarok wasn't going to delay this any further. It had gone on long enough, he was going to show what happened to those who taunted him and stole his spells for their own greedy purposes. No one was going to stop him, not even—

"WAIT!"

… Sir Daniel Fortesque.

"Forty, darling, don't tell me, you actually want this idiot to be spared?"

"Sort of?"

"Sorry, I can't understand your mumbling."

"Yes you can!"

Lord Palethorn saw this as a chance to try and crawl away, but felt a bullet burn into his right shoulder, coming from Chou-Chou. "Not so fast, if we can't kill you, then I'll simply hurt you until you scream… that is, if it is alright with the others."

Zarok grinned at her. "Certainly better than sparing him. In fact, you know what? Why don't we interrogate him instead?" Chou-Chou instantly began pinning Palethorn down with her boots. "Daniel, put yourself to use, and bring those three children over here." Grumbling at Chou-Chou for actually going along with Zarok, and no one objecting to him, Sir Daniel walked over to the outsiders, requesting them to join in on the interrogation.

Michael started the questioning. "What do you want? What is it that you're after?"

"Yer too late, anyway, so might a' well tell ya. Samael an' the others are trying ta open a portal ta yer world an' get Bleu."

Caela shot up. "Bleu?! What do they want with her?"

"The New Game Plus is the key ta taking over an' getting the recognition we deserve. And no one knows it better than 'er. We actually wouldn't 'ave been able ta succeed without the 'elp of that spunky redhead."

At that, Nick violently grabbed Palethorn by the collar and brought him close. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH NATALIE?!"

"Nuttin' 'orrible. She's been 'elping us a' 'er own free will. She thinks she's 'elping a good cause, but she's oblivious to our true goals. Been givin' us 'er own energy to power the portal. I wouldn't be surprised if she was drained dry by the time ya get 'ere."

Nick didn't even try to hide his anger. But surprisingly, he didn't hit Palethorn. He just tossed him like a rag doll towards Chou-Chou. "He's all yours." He turned to continue the lead down to Hell when Michael stopped him. "That was surprising."

"What was?"

"I haven't heard you say Natalie's name for a long time."

"You didn't hear me say it."

"Huh?"

"You didn't hear me say it."

"Why? Why are you trying to deny saying her name in front of us?"

"Because you're not the one who has to hear me say it."

As Nick walked off, Michael and Caela looked at each other, surprised at his words. They began to wonder just how much Natalie's words struck him, and if it was a major influence in his determination to get her back.

But that would have to wait. After everyone was done resting and Chou-Chou was done having her fun, they broke camp and continued to the next Circle of Hell.

"So how come Palethorn was weak to… that form of yours, specifically?" Laharl asked Chou-Chou, who changed back to her Ego form and was hopping along.

"I questioned him about that while beating him down, it's not even sadistic chicks. That Palethorn guy just likes ladies who are in-charge as him. Red hair was bonus points probably." Chou-Chou answered with a shrug. "I wanted to make him my peon, but I guess I can't, huh?"

"Absolutely not." Marth interrupted.

They all began to make their way to the exit. Keeping their heads forward, making sure not to look at anyone they had known. Ratchet passed someone he knew probably, but knew he couldn't let his curiosity cause any eye-contact.

Sir Daniel almost wondered if Palethorn's two henchmen, Mander and Dogman, were somewhere around here. Truth be told, they didn't really deserve to die, but he had been a little too testy during those years. The thought of ending up here terrified Wario, but not enough to change his ways. He just wanted to get out, and fast.

The Gunstringer pried his one eye away from the stairs for a brief moment. Not to look at anyone in Hell, but just his new posse beside him. Mainly to see if Rin was bothered by anything, considering her possible, dwindling trust in the angel. But that was a mistake, as he instantly made contact with a face he recognized.

That cowardly, good for nothing sheriff. One of the Oil Baron's most dastardly men, willing to use others as a shield, and run away like a chicken missing its head. What's worse, that one moment of familiarity, was all that was needed for the puppet-Sheriff to notice his killer there.

Running over towards the Gunstringer madly, the Sheriff laughed, in a rather goofy but maniacal manner. Reaching for his revolvers, the Gunstringer was ready to blow the stuffing out of that weasel once again. This wasn't exactly the note he wanted to end on, but he planned to make it quick. A shot to the face, and then move right along. The Sheriff moved closer, ready to strangle the skeletal marionette—

Only to be whacked in the head, by a familiar, stringed instrument.

The Gunstringer was stunned to see Rin suddenly just pull out her erhu, the very moment the Sheriff tried to lunge at him too. "Didn't you remember what we were told? Don't look at anyone, Mr. Gunstringer!"

Mister? That was a new one. Either way, he shook his head, directing it forward again while Blinx held the Sheriff like a football, so Frank West could kick him across the Greed circle. "My bad." The Gunstringer mumbled, moving right along.

Wrath, the pit of anger and fury were next. Conker had a feeling about who they would find there. Someone who was bitter, testy, all over being forgotten. Was an easy connection to make, and predictable. He would be very much ready for that person too.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

 **Wrathful Encounter**

As they walked forward, they reached an immediate problem. There was water. A lot of it. And not just any water. It was water from the river Styx. And Kratos knew from experience that it was bad to wallow in there. Most were huddled in a group coming up with an idea, but there was only one that made any possibility of success.

"This is insane, but it's all we've got. All those capable of ice will freeze the water as much as they can. Then they form a perimeter around everyone and try to keep the water frozen as much as possible. Got it?"

Understanding and a bit scared, the ice users got into position. Same as before, although Luigi was too frightened to help this time, clinging onto his brother and Princess Peach for dear life.

"We couldn't just find a boat?" Donte asked.

"Or we could have tried to fly over that mess!" Dark Pit suggested.

"Considering there are those who fight in the river who may try to grab us, it's better to be safe than sorry." Sabre pointed out, watching as the mucky liquid was covered in frost, thanks to everyone's effort.

All areas were covered as they walked on the frozen river. The ice didn't seem thin, but they wanted to hurry anyway towards wherever the end was. "Everyone okay back there?" Pupuru called out, in which nearly everyone responded with a yes or a nod.

Lagging behind a little, Ichigo mostly followed Conker. Crossing over a part of the ice that was weakening— due to the weight of Bowser, King Dedede, Wario, Big Daddy, and Fat Princess walking on it— Conker looked down only once, thinking he saw a pair of yellow eyes. Ignoring it and believing nothing could happen, he kept moving, forgetting that Ichigo was behind him.

The moment Ichigo's paw-like boots touched the thin ice, it cracked. Her ears perked up, screaming as she fell into the murky waters, and someone's large hands grabbing her. Nearly everyone directed their attention to the catgirl, and Jack Walters flew into a state of panic at the sight.

"Ichigo!" Kasumi cried, being first to try and pull her out.

"Hold on strawberry! We got ya!" The Gunstringer yelled, helping with other Microsoft characters.

"Someone is trying to pull her in! I need backup here!" Marcus called out, prompting Dust, Frank West, Rash, and Master Chief to try and assist. Conker could only blame himself for letting that happen, since he wasn't paying much attention and dared to look down just once. Glacius and Caela were trying to calm down Jack Walters, but doing so was difficult.

Carefully taking a long stick from a part of the muddy river that wasn't frozen yet, Cooper tried to jab whatever it was holding Ichigo under the water. A pained roar was heard, and Ichigo was freed, but now the figure beneath the water was now trying use the stick to pull themselves up.

Cooper let go, relieved that the others got Ichigo out, Jack Walters also having his attention directed to the mud-covered, but otherwise alright Ichigo. Conker saw a pair of hands that had claws on them, followed by a pair of muscular, hairy arms. His whole body had so much slime from the river on it, that there wasn't any way to identify who they were.

At least, if not for their yellow eyes, and the gaping hole in their chest. A low growl came from them, all of those things Conker definitely remembered, on the very night that Berri died and he became king.

A former king, having his crown and throne literally stolen by Conker, was now trying to claw his way over to the red squirrel. The Panther King, to be more precise. "Finally," he huffed, "the red squirrel… has returned."

"Oh great, it's the guy who wants his table leg!" Kazooie groaned, getting ready with the others to fend him off. Rash decided to bring it upon himself and try to submerge the Panther King back under the river, and Banjo tried getting Kazooie to spit out Ice Eggs to freeze him.

However, as they did so, a bolt of lightning struck the Panther King instead, he roared, forcing Rash to back away. "Whoa now, where did that come from!?" The Battletoad hopped to the side, as the Panther King's stamina was depleted in mere seconds, forcing him to fall back beneath the river.

"Keep your claws off that tree rat!" Hoodlums shrieked, ceasing his use of magic once the Panther King was down. "Oh, how I despise those who had replaced me. That idiot of a king, you never even fought him, after all the build-up… Who am I kidding? Your little 'Bad Fur Day' nearly forgot about him, half-way through the adventure!"

"This guy again?" Caela sighed.

"I had a feeling he was going to show up." Conker smiled, actually relieved to see Hoodlums.

"Could he pick a better time?" Isaac Clarke grunted, still freezing parts of the river.

"Guess not, we have to fight here and be extra careful!" Lucina said, drawing her blade.

Nearly all of them readied for a battle, taking out whatever weapons they had. "Tch! You're not even going to listen to what I have to say? I actually want to make a deal here, rather than fight!" Halting themselves upon Hoodlums saying that, everyone remained cautious at any move he would try to pull.

Rin however, was delighted to hear this, especially after the glimmer of hope that came from the Anglar Emperor. "You're here to change your mind about being so hostile, and give things a chance? Maybe even start living in Leanbox?"

"No, you blithering, blonde bi—"

"Watch it." The Gunstringer threatened.

Trying to control his fury for now, he pointed at Conker. "Rat, think this over, won't you? We, were meant to be bitter enemies. Unlike that idiot Panther King, that legless professor, and that poor fool the Evil Acorn— bless his soul— I can put up a good fight! Honestly, I pity you, really. Remember Project Spark, with the Big Reunion? Looked alright, I suppose, but the whole game ended up being tossed away after a while. All of those games you were meant to have? Canned! Don't get me started with that Young Conker nonsense either!"

Conker promptly winced at the mention of every single one of those things. They were all true statements, he couldn't deny it. "Face it, Conker, your life has been even more miserable. Between Rare being bought out and attempts to bring you back… neither Vert or Blanc can save you at this point, your only hope is for the both of us to put our differences aside, and make things right!"

His words were convincing, things hadn't been so great, and after putting his faith in Vert, Conker did end up feeling more depressed. Nearly all of his remaining friends abandoned him, his only ones that remained somewhat, being the common residents of Leanbox's Basilicom.

But none of that mattered. Because Conker didn't care about adventuring like he did as a kid, what good would there be in restoring his youthful, or golden days?

"You want to shine, I just want to relax, dead or alive, and have bottles of beer in good company. I have a feeling my life will only get more hectic with you in it, buddy. In other words, keep me outta this."

Growing infuriated, Hoodlums snapped. "That's the sort of response I expected from you, rat! How selfish you are! That childish grim reaper gave a similar one, even though he was from the more 'crude' era, I pitied him enough, and he just calls me a twa—"

"You mean Gregg?" Conker questioned.

"Yes, him! Thankfully, he's taken care of."

"What did you do to Gregg?" Mr. Grimm asked, with a hint of animosity in his voice.

"I did nothing, Samael froze him! Same with your other deathly friends."

Sir Daniel instantly knew that this meant that Death was probably frozen as well, while Reimu concluded that this probably meant Komachi as well. "As this goes on, this Samael reveals himself to be worse, geez." Voodoo Vince shook his head. "Anyway, Conker refused, this is the part where we really fight you now, isn't it?"

Vince was met with a bolt of lightning as a response. "I take that as a yes, dude." Rash croaked, as nearly everyone was stuck on the river, which had yet to be completely frozen over.

"I'll drown all of you idiots, and make sure you'll never resurface!" Hoodlums cackled madly, going absolutely crazy with his magic, which was much stronger than last time. On the plus side, he didn't summon anything like Lord Palethorn, but this was arguably more difficult due to the setting.

This all escalated in an instant, when Hoodlums decided to cast a very large fireball. There was no way anyone could counter that so easily, it would probably melt all of the ice before it made impact with anyone there. Anyone with firearms or bows saw this as a chance to try and shoot at him, fast. Blinx attempted to slow time against Hoodlums, then urged Caela to do something to stop the wizard.

"Try to go up there and blow him away or something if you can!" Blinx suggested, hoping to buy enough time for everyone. Caela wondered why Blinx didn't just stop the flow of time, but the look on his face was filled with panic, which was a good enough indication that Blinx did the first thing his reflexes told him to.

"Blow him away, huh?" Caela said to herself. Fanning the flames was often a bad idea, but there was nothing to be said about blowing the caster across the air. Transforming into Aya Shameimaru, a crow tengu girl, she swiftly flew over to Hoodlums.

A heavy gust of wind came from her fan, which sent Hoodlums and his giant fireball away from everyone else. Losing focus forced him to dispel the fireball as a whole, as Hoodlums smacked into a wall. Cursing under his breath, Hoodlums knew that he had to take the life of the outsiders if he wanted any progress, or at least trap them.

Nick and Michael knew the only way to fight him was in the air to keep him away from the ice. Nick handled the distraction by turning into a harpy and heading right for Hoodlums, grabbing his hat and trying to tear it off. Predictably, Hoodlums struggled to keep it on, trying to keep only his eyes showing. This presented the best opportunity for Michael to prepare as Pit and let loose with his arrows.

With the fight getting further and further away, the characters could proceed, putting all energies in freezing the rest of the river and getting to the next Circle. Hoodlums was able to see through the strategy, but could barely do a thing. With the outsiders constantly attacking him, he could only send low-level spells at the others, which were easily deflected by Kratos's Golden Fleece and Fox's Reflector.

Hoodlums temper was definitely on the rise. Taking care of the outsiders was too much for him and the others were getting away. Including the squirrel….

When he realized Conker would be taken from him again, his angered flared, causing a massive rise of his power, and with the New Game Plus energy backing him up, he caused a huge flash, blinding everyone. When the flash subsided and everyone's eyesight returned, there were a whole lot of Hoodlums.

The outsiders barely missed a beat. Nick turned into Radec with his jetpack, flying around shooting at them all. Michael stayed as Pit, using his acrobatics to stay clear of attacks. Caela turned into Jetman to use the wide spread fire to hit multiple enemies at once.

They were making good progress. All the Hoodlums that they hit disappeared, thinning them out more and more. But they didn't seem to hit anything solid. "Frigging coward! Hiding behind these cheap scarecrows! Come out!" Michael and Caela understood Nick's annoyance, but they knew that complaining won't do anything, they just had to keep blasting the duplicates. They were down to the last handful when….

 **BOOM!**

Their attention was grabbed by the sudden explosion, turning to see that the ice bridge got shattered, with many of the characters falling into the waters. Several hands began grabbing Colonel Radec, Kratos, Marth, Link, Dust, and Jack Walters as they began to struggle, feeling some that they may have known start to grab at them.

Some of them had no idea who these mud-covered characters were, but obviously, they all had it out for quite a handful of the characters there. Nearly everyone else started to worry, whether they noticed someone coming towards them or not. "Stay calm! We need to find Hoodlums before we can worry about the ones here!" Master Chief yelled, in an attempt to reason with everyone.

"You will all be consumed by the ones in this river, and join them as you struggle to break free! Hope you enjoy this fate… you could have gone a much better way, rat. Oh well, I'll leave you with a parting gift." He laughed, preparing an ice spell. "I'll do what you wanted to initially, freeze the river, right?"

"With us still in it, right?"

"Of course! Trapped forever in eternal struggle with the embodiments of rage that outdo mine! Farwell, Rat!"

"Don't think so!" Hoodlums looked up to see "Pit" charging forward holding "Kameo". He stopped abruptly, making "Kameo" fly and turn into her Rubble form, knocking into Hoodlums and making his shot go wild. Nick intercepted it and turned into Cole, somehow managing to use his ice powers to redirect the shot, making the rest of the bridge needed to cross. Everyone started to move quickly, clearing the bridge, and allowing more room to pull up those that were still in the water. The hands that were still clinging were easily knocked off, and everyone made it through safely.

The outsiders were still in the air, Caela holding Hoodlums by the foot and Michael and Nick pointing their weapons at him. Hoodlums couldn't make a move, and he was dangerously close to the Panther King, who didn't like that fact his revenge on the squirrel was stopped. "H-h-hey, hey! You're not seriously considering dropping me, are you? You're the good guys, you don't do that, right? Uh, uh, Rin! Hey, Rin, help me out, won't you? For old times sake?"

The Gunstringer and Reimu looked at Rin, hoping the worst wouldn't happen. But Rin just stood there with an angry look on her face. "After what you did to me, you want my help? There's only one way you're getting my help, buster! If you leave us alone, get out of here, and rethink your life! Octoman and the Anglar Emperor are doing the same, and so can you!"

Everyone was surprised, but not as much as Hoodlums. No one ever gave him encouragement, not even on the team, and in a sense, that's what Rin did, despite how rude he was to her. And he knew he had no choice, or else he would be done for. "A-alright, I'll… I'll do it. I'll leave and try to turn a new leaf, somehow. I won't try something like this again, but I'm still a bad guy, and that Rat will forever be my enemy!" With that, he vanished. Everyone waited a few minutes to make sure he was truly gone. Content that he was, they began the trip to the Sixth Circle.

"That guy was kind of a coward compared to the last two, wasn't he? I didn't think it would be so simple to convince him to stop." Corrin said quietly.

"He just really wants to be the bad guy. His vulgarity aside, he's probably still in the stage before Conker became more mature, so to speak." Sabre explained. This theory definitely made sense to the likes of Banjo, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and a few other Rareware characters. Hoodlums did somewhat feel like a cartoon character compared to everyone else, doing anything to save his own skin.

Though, this only meant to others that they would probably have to put up with him again once this was all over.

—

The Sleeping Princess was no longer in the meeting room, meaning Samael had to use the crystal ball left behind for himself. "So Rin is finally growing a spine and Hoodlums chickened out? Egh, I dunno if I like the looks of that." Samael grumbled, watching the scene along with Lumine and Wizzro. "With the way they're blowing through everyone, I think I'm going to have to call some old friends of mine."

"Friends?" Wizzro wondered, watching as Samael grabbed a staff of some sort, looking as cold as any other object in the icy room. "You are calling upon allies to assist you?"

"Not me, Wizzro, but the Sleeping Princess, for when things get too crazy. She's gonna need the help, y'know? Especially if Grodus and Rez fail." There was a bit of a pause, as Lumine and Wizzro looked at Samael, not believing him. "Okay, I just wanna throw them under the bus, but don't tell them that! They'll do anything to avenge Sariel."

As Lumine and Wizzro began chuckling, two other angels suddenly appeared in a bright light. One was rather normal-looking, save the fact he had two pairs of wings rather than a single set. Dark-green hair in a braid, wearing a rose-colored robe.

The other had short, blonde hair and wore a blue robe. For whatever reason, he carried a horn, and his left eye socket had a flower growing out of it. Of the two, he looked far more happy to see Samael. "You have called us? Is this about Sariel's killer?"

"That is correct, she's headed this way! Can you do me a solid, Gabe?"

"Sure!" The blonde one replied, cheerfully.

"I need you and Uriel to stop the killer in her tracks, and help my friend out. Sound good?"

"Easy as ever! Right Uriel?"

The other angel glanced at his friend. "This sounds like a trick, Samael. Shall Gabriel play you his song, just to reveal your intents? Why us, specifically?"

"Well, y'know how it is." Samael scratched his head, trying to play it cool as always. "The other angels don't like when I ask for their help, and since you two, like Sariel and I, were also cooped up in the demon world… I knew you would want revenge on those who wronged Makai and all!"

Looking at each other, Gabriel nodded once again, about to play his horn. "Anything to avenge Sariel and Makai!" Before he could though, Samael shoved a cork in the instrument, stopping him from doing so.

"Uh, play your tunes of victory and whatnot when you beat them."

"Of course!" Filled with pride— a bit too much of it— Gabriel flew away.

Uriel was not too convinced. He knew that Samael had a reason for stopping Gabriel's playing of the trumpet. The more chaotic angel was hiding something for sure. "I am here only to protect Gabriel. The moment he unveils something about you, watch yourself, Sam." He then took his leave as well.

All Samael needed was to buy as much time for progress with Natalie as he could. On that note, he began wondering about the Dark Champion, and how unusual he had been acting as of recent…

—

Histoire had finally ended her research, and came to a conclusion she didn't want to come to. Her heart was racing, cold sweat rolling down her neck at the realization.

The New Game Plus, its origins, and who made it. She was under the impression the original God of Gamindustri had created it. In fact, there were not as many records on the New Game Plus as she had hoped.

But it began to make sense. The return of Jack Walters… Those four outsiders coming in…

She didn't want to believe it. "I have to hurry, the others must be warned!" Histoire began flying out of the study room, trying to find Neptune and Nepgear. Every single CPU had to know— even Taigara.

Otherwise, Histoire wasn't sure what would happen. Other than obviously, something very terrible.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

 **Absolute Heresy**

As they approached the Circle of Heresy, they didn't have to look far to see any familiar faces.

"Holy crap…." Michael murmured.

"To think they would be here." Nick looked more excited than anything upon the sight.

"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" Caela asked.

"This will be tough to avoid, you know."

"True, but you still gotta admit, it's a fantastic view."

Turning to their viewpoint, one could easily make out nearly all of the Colossi from Shadow of the Colossus, the remnants of a dark god's soul, destroyed in order to bring him back. They were not in tombs like the others, as they were lumbering about, almost as if they were guardians for the Circle.

Luckily, they showed no interest in the ones intruding upon the circle of Heresy. It seemed almost as if they were actually tasked with keeping other souls from escaping the fiery tombs. This was the world meant for those who went against the gods. Those who constantly question, defy, or do anything— with the exception of one greater sin— against CPUs or any other sort of divine god, were sent here. Without any sort of faith given, they could only fall into Heresy.

There were quite a few of those. Mainly, those who had once participated in ASIC's dealings, and never saw the error of their ways before death. "Piracy is a hefty crime to pay in Gamindustri." Xavier Pendragon explained to the outsiders. "Only if one has had faith in a CPU and not turned back on it, despite wanting products of ASIC, or confess and wish to be forgiven, they would not be sent here."

Neither Michael nor Nick liked the idea of piracy. Caela never even used her favorite PC for downloading other games— with one small exception, but it was because some weren't released outside Japan for her Windows computer. Yet, some of them almost wondered if this was a bit too far, piracy being that big of a crime.

Though, Nick had played the Neptunia games, while Caela mostly played the remakes on Steam— and only really liked the first one— so they were at least familiar with the concept of the ASIC group and why that was all an issue with Gamindustri.

Michael, having never played that series despite hanging out with Blanc since he arrived, could only remember that one message in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen: "If you like this game, buy it or die", now taken to an extreme and almost literal sense.

It was a wonder as to why none of the CFWs were here, and one of them, although the most justified and even changed his ways, was hanging around Lastation. "So, did the big ASIC members like Brave change their ways or something? Why is he alive exactly? I nearly forgot about it." Nick asked.

"All of them did, not just Brave the Hard," Mr. Grimm replied, "all Four Felons moved on, realizing they were being used and fighting us was worthless a couple of years ago." This only confused Nick more, as this implied the felons returned to do evil, under someone else's hand.

He also thought that someone like Trick really shouldn't be redeemed compared to Brave, maybe Magic and Judge too, but it was obvious that there was a lot that he and the others missed out on in Gamindustri. "The only one who didn't make it was the mouse creature from what I recall, but the underling girl made it through and decided to start a new job with the Four Felons." Mewtwo continued.

Was there anyone on the evil side that did not agree with the CPUs? Michael thought of one, who he had helped fight off in Lowee, and he wondered if that was who he was going to run into. Such thoughts were confirmed when he heard a rather familiar laugh.

"Buh! Buh huh huh! Man, you guys are early. Did that wizard not put up enough of a fight?"

Standing there, as expected, was Lord Crump surrounded by several X-Nauts. This most likely meant that Sir Grodus, one who had viewed Blanc's actions as of recent in a very negative light, would be somewhere in the Circle. "How come you ain't burnin' down here? Aren't you lot made outta paper?" King Dedede asked, preparing his hammer for whatever was about to happen.

"Hey, I could ask some of you the same thing for getting this far." Lord Crump replied, brushing off the question. "But that doesn't matter right now, Grodus said I gotta play a part in holding you all back, and what better place to do it, then here?"

There was notably a different sort of loyalty to Sir Grodus, compared to how Zazan was towards the Anglar Emperor. A typical one, more than anything, and it was definitely noticeable for the actual villains present: Bowser, Ganondorf, Dr. Nefarious, and Zarok.

"It sounds as if you do not follow your orders because you wish to, or get something out of it, like my own underlings would." Ganondorf stated, crossing his arms as he spoke. "But because you have to, you seem to lack interest in these plots against the CPUs."

This was true, but Lord Crump was obviously choosing not to listen, turning a blind eye to Ganondorf's words. "Get something out of it? You mean like that manipulative hag, Beldam? I'm not her, and that's for the better. She's kinda the reason Sir Grodus lost his body and all, feeding him those lies!" Taking out a remote control, Lord Crump pressed a red button on it, a capsule of some kind appearing from above.

"Behold, the Magnus von Grapple 3.0! I won't lie, this baby couldn't have been made without a certain spy's help, he has really advanced technology, for someone that looks kinda lady-like and resents humans. Yet he was willing to lend us a hand! Too bad the paper plumber won't be facing me this time, but I guess his counterpart with more polygons will do! Buh huh huh!"

Mario, Yoshi, and Bowser all glared at Lord Crump. Peach, Rosalina, and Luigi were more concerned than anything else. Wario didn't seem to care, thinking it didn't really involve him too much, but Bowser Jr., who had his eyes covered by Lucario for most of the trip to avoid any sort of trauma, finally wriggled free. "It's our job to mess with Mario, fatso! Take your army back to that dumb fairy tale book or something!"

"FATSO!? Oh, you just earned yourself a timeout, kid!" Pointing the mech's papery fists at the group, Lord Crump launched them. Lucario instantly put Bowser Jr. down and attempted to shield the young koopa. Although he could defend himself well, the fist was able to break through Lucario's shields, sending the Pokémon across the ground.

Following after Lord Crump's attack were several X-Nauts. A bunch of them cluttered themselves together into a ball, and prepared to try and steamroll anyone close by. Similarly, another set of X-Nauts began dangling from a steel bar, that was somehow, suddenly above everyone there.

"How did they manage to do that?" Cloud wondered.

"Fights in Paper Mario tend to be more crazy compared to your games." Michael replied, who then transformed into Paper Mario, simply for the sake of it.

Most of the fighters focused their attention on the X-Nauts, the Smashers even preparing to use tag-attacks like they did before. Mario on the other hand, along with Michael, focused on Lord Crump. Attempting to jump on him, Mario realized that several particles surrounded the Magnus von Grapple 3.0, which created a barrier of some sort.

"He has his own version of a Mini-Yux too!?" Michael exclaimed, now knowing that they had to focus on getting rid of those, if they even wanted to dent Lord Crump. To do that, they would all have to team up, and making sure Crump wasn't going to be able to spawn anymore defenses.

During the madness, Sir Grodus himself walked towards the scene, also having the small Grodus X's protect his body. "I see that the upgrades to the Magnus von Grapple, and all of the X-Nauts are giving you a difficult time." He chuckled, watching everyone's struggle to keep the X-Nauts down, and rid of the shield around the Magnus von Grapple. "I suppose it is my job to make it even harder for you, since I was the one tasked with disposing of you all here."

He decided not to make his presence unknown for the time being, wanting to savor his fun. Concentrating, he made the flames that were near the fighters increase in size, almost burning those closest to it. Trying to avoid it, some ended up tripping into each other, making openings for the X-Nauts to attack. The all-out brawl got even more intense as everyone was tangled up. Some of the fighters actually pushed each other by accident in the confusion. Master Chief was pushed back into Marcus Fenix, making him fall and his chainsaw gun hit one of the tombs. The sound of the chainsaw making a crack seemed to echo throughout the entire Circle, making 16 heads turn towards the scuffle.

Nick and the All-Stars freaked out the most. As the Colossi came from Lastation, they were familiar with them the most. So they were the most aware of the threat they posed. Even Sir Grodus feared he made a grave miscalculation. Things started to look bad when Nick got another one of his crazy ideas. Using the wings of Icarus, he flew up and turned his arm into that of Wander's, holding the sword that defeated the Colossi in the first place.

His theory was right. The Colossi's march was halted by the sight of the sword, which sent them all into a rage. They gave chase to the one they believed was the one responsible for their demise and being sent here. Nick picked up the speed, leading the Colossi away from the fighters and straight to Crump and his men.

When Crump saw what was happening, his mind was on only one thing. "Scatter!" He shouted to his men. "We must avoid the stone giants or we will all be doomed!" He turned the Magnus to start running, just in time to avoid a club that slammed down just where he was.

Even though most of them were going after Nick and smashing X-Nauts in the process, some of the Colossi spotted the fighters. Mistaking them for escapees from the tombs, they launched attacks on them too. The attacks mostly came from Dirge, Hydrus, Celosia, and Cenobia, as they were closer to the ground, and saw them before they caught up with the sword.

Incapacitating Celosia and Cenobia was easy, given their small size and fear of fire, which was heavily exploited by Charizard. Dirge and Hydrus were a bit tougher, as they were able to dive under to avoid attack. This mostly led to the fighters with a brawler-type style to smash, stomp, and punch the ground to shake them out, in which the gun-wielders followed it up with shooting them in the head enough to knock them out.

The other Colossi were too busy chasing the sword to notice their brethren's peril. Their chase already destroyed most of the X-Naut forces and even damaged the Magnus to the point where Lord Crump had to eject. When enough damage was done, Nick changed course to away from the fight, leading the Colossi to the other side of the Circle. When he was far enough, he swooped low and turned into Sackboy, using his small size to double back between the tombs and out of sight.

"You idiot! Why did you eject!?" Sir Grodus yelled.

"It was getting too damaged! I can't have it self-destructing on m—"

"You really can't do anything right, even when that reploid upgrades your toys?"

"I could have, but—"

"Excuses. I should have done this on my own, and replaced you a long time ago."

"Buh huh? B-but—"

"Enough of that 'buh huh' laugh, you know I hate that too!"

"Bu- I mean, uh…"

"Hm? 'Uh' what? If you have nothing to say, don't speak, and stand back, you worthless imbecile."

As Lord Crump stood there, Sir Grodus continued focusing his attacks on the heroes, without the Colossi getting in the way this time. "You're going to take that from him?" Ganondorf asked.

Lord Crump wasn't able to think of a response, not to Sir Grodus, and certainly not to anyone else. "You get a cool mech like that which gives us a hard time, and he calls you worthless? That doesn't make any sense! I usually kill for peons like this! Except not really." Chou-Cou added, tempted to change forms, but realizing her Ego one was actually best for this situation.

"As someone who was under the services of Andross at one point," Wolf said, "even he didn't call anyone on his side that sort of thing, especially not my team."

"I mean, I would have done the same thing back then!" Dr. Nefarious spoke next, gesturing at Scervo. "But over the years, having allies like him have changed my views, fellow robots aren't disposable! Sheesh!"

"Wasn't it your boss's fault for makin' this worse anyway by risin' them flames?" King Dedede raised a brow, finding it ironic that Sir Grodus was calling out Lord Crump on being unhelpful. "Why ya doin' this anyway?"

He took a moment to actually listen for once, rather than brush it aside. Lord Crump couldn't help but reflect. The Anglar Emperor had been nothing but nice to Octoman and Zazan— minus the fact Crump didn't really know that she was infatuated with the latter.

Sir Grodus treated both Lord Crump and the Shadow Sirens like dirt, and while Beldam was an actually bad underling who lied just for the revival of her queen, Lord Crump was loyal, as were the other X-Nauts. Yes, they messed up plenty of times, but had gotten more close to success than the Shadow Sirens usually did.

Lord Crump didn't know why he was doing this to begin with, because the whole plot screamed "repeat of before". But each time he objected and asked Sir Grodus if the others could be trusted, he was insulted.

Looking back at the other X-Nauts, he then finally spoke back to Ganondorf and those accompanying him. "Hold on a moment, I gotta confirm something." Lord Crump then approached the somewhat beaten-down group of X-Nauts. They all began mumbling to each other, sometimes peeking over to Sir Grodus, who was holding off against Michael, Luigi, and Mario relatively well.

"Be honest, do you think this is gonna be a repeat of over ten years ago?"

"Wha? Lord Crump, why—"

"Be completely honest, bub! I'm not going to yell at you for thinking whatever."

"Yes."

"I mean, kinda?"

"That Sleeping Princess freaks me out, dude."

"You were putting up a good fight, what happened?"

"I don't trust that Lumine for a minute."

"I heard something about how in another world…"

"Okay, okay! Hold your horses, that's all I wanted to hear." Lord Crump had to stop everyone else from talking so much, otherwise they might be heard. Thankfully, Sir Grodus was still distracted, and he had managed to defend himself from Mario and Luigi doing a tag-attack. Unlike last time, he even managed to avoid Captain Falcon's punch combined with Pikachu, due to casting a "dodgy" effect on himself.

The X-Nauts, surprisingly enough, while not in the best condition were at least in a mutual agreement. Sir Grodus froze Captain Falcon and Pikachu with a beam of ice, then struck Luigi with a thunderbolt. His powers were greatly enhanced, in the same way as those before him were.

Michael prepared to change out of the Paper Mario form and into something else, but he was stunned by a clock beam of some kind. "I do not think I can let you get away alive this time, outsider." Sir Grodus then laughed again, seeing how it affected others around Michael. "Well, I can take advantage of this just fine." Casting a flamethrower sort of spell against "Paper Mario", he was burned. Sir Grodus was ready to finish it, until he saw a shadow casting over him.

A ball of X-Nauts, with Lord Crump on top, preparing to trample their leader. "What… what the!? What are you doing you fools!? Stop!" He tried to command them, but they did not listen, and squashed him.

Everyone simply watched the X-Nauts turn against Sir Grodus for a good minute, running over him, and busting up his staff so it could not be used for magic any further. "Sorry sir," Lord Crump said, "but I think after what you said about me not being of use, I'm gonna resign completely from this stuff. I'm mostly taking your forces with me, since we're in agreement about those weirdos giving off the same vibes Beldam did."

Hopping off of the ball of X-Nauts, they all scattered. Sir Grodus and his mechanical body were once again, ruined. Michael couldn't believe what he just witnessed, but it was very satisfying to say the least.

"You may wanna think over what you do next, uh, pretty carefully Grodus. Stay with that Princess and her friends, and I don't think it's going to end well. I don't really care about this stuff about thinking the CPU has lost her touch either, to be completely real with you."

Sir Grodus was furious, but also too stunned— and damaged— to do anything about it. "What are you saying? Enough of this! Spouting nonsense… Wait, where are you going!?"

"I'm getting out of here, that's what! No one sane wants to be involved with something that could ruin the world like last time. Hopefully you're done with schemes for real after this, because I certainly am, if it means I get treated like garbage… by someone who is considered less of a challenge than the paper counterpart of the giant turtle over there!" Once he said that, Lord Crump flipped over and walked out of the Circle, tons of X-Nauts following him, although one briefly looked at Sir Grodus in pity, before also joining.

Bowser couldn't help but laugh really hard at that last part. Michael also found that to be somewhat true, many people, himself included, found Paper Bowser to be more challenging of a boss.

All Sir Grodus could do now, was collapse. There was no use in trying to fight those trying to reach the bottom circle, unless he be met with more damage to his body. He was beaten, by his own right-hand man and just about all of the X-Nauts. The most Sir Grodus could do is pass out, so he could avoid confrontation with anyone else.

"Should we, uh, help him, or…?" Caela asked.

"I think we should see if some of the Smashers are alright first." Sabre suggested.

"And Michael," Nick said, rather worried, "you got burned, didn't you?"

"Huh? But it was only as Paper Mario— hey!" Caela then pulled part of his shirt up, much to Michael's embarrassment. Indeed, there was a burn mark there, done by Sir Grodus. "How did that…?"

"Something like that happened to Natalie too when she tried to fend off Mercury!" Nick explained, Rin's first reaction was to play her erhu to heal Michael's burn, which had very quick results.

"Oh, so you guys aren't invincible? There goes the idea of letting you three take care of everything." Vince commented. "Anyway, now what? The next circle is what?"

"Violence." Scorpion replied, as if someone such as him was familiar with it. Not unlikely in the slightest, as Colonel Radec somewhat flinched at the mention too.

The worst reaction though, was Madotsuki's, who began to grab onto Jack Walters. With his abilities, he could hear a blaring, siren-like noise. Walters saw a world, where boiling pits of blood laid down below, followed by the woods, and then scorching sands.

Hell was becoming more complicated. "We need to prepare, things are going to get even longer." Jack Walters said, trying to warn everyone. They knew very well that they should listen to him, even if some were getting a little impatient.

"Rin, would it be too much trouble to ask if you can heal everyone that was attacked during that battle? I would very much appreciate it." Glacius requested, politely.

"Of course! Um, Mr. Gunstringer? Could you help some of those Smash characters out of their stunned state?" She asked, trying to not be pushy with the undead puppet. "I need to see if they're hurt like that boy was."

"Not an issue, cherry pie, anythin' fer ya—" Realizing what he said, the Gunstringer cleared his non-existent throat. "Fer ya helpin' out before that is!" Luckily, Rin didn't exactly catch those parts, and focused on healing Pikachu.

Reimu and Caela however, noticed his slip. The latter was stunned at how out of his usual character that was for the Gunstringer, while Reimu couldn't help but snicker, waiting for the right time to bother him about that later.

—

"Lord Crump… betrayed Sir Grodus?" Samael didn't know what to say. On one hand, he was annoyed that preventing the progress of the other outsiders and iconic characters had failed. He had tons of faith in Sir Grodus, being tied with Lord Palethorn in terms of reliability.

But he did treat Lord Crump pretty badly, something you shouldn't do when someone is still in your services. Also, there was the fact that Grodus questioned Samael's ways at one point, which lead to some threatening. "Meh, y'know what? Yeah, Grodus earned that. Great, I got no hopes for Rez now, he's gonna be cornered, unless everyone else screws around too much in the Violence circle. I guess the Sleeping Princess and my two buddies can stop them—"

"The charging is complete, Samael." Lumine stated, entering the meeting room. "But the Dark Champion is in a state of panic, our ally has become unconscious."

"What!?" Samael got up from his chair, urgently making his way over to where the machine was. Natalie lied there, in the Dark Champion's arms, looking pale. Her breathing was slow, and all the Dark Champion could do was shout at him.

"See what you have done, Samael!? You have gotten careless and pushed this!"

"H-hey, D.C., she'll be fine, she just needs to—"

"Where is the Sleeping Princess? She needs to be healed or something!"

"Not here." Wizzro replied, intruding upon the serious discussion.

"Gh…! Then I shall treat her myself." The Dark Champion got up, carrying Natalie away.

Samael went from stammering, to gritting his teeth. Something wasn't right, the Dark Champion was acting weirdly ever since he began trying to convince Natalie to join, and it wasn't like him to react in such a way. Flicking his forked tongue, Samael at least knew it was a good time to try and be nice later, but still, the Dark Champion had become more irritating.

"Alright, so… I guess that means the way to their world, and the Lost Dimension, is now permanently opened?" Samael wondered, as Lumine checked the coordinates of the machine.

"Yes, it seems so. I'm sure the Sleeping Princess will be very happy to hear about it, if she returns!… But, what if she is defeated, Samael?" Lumine asked, looking mischievous.

"That's like asking what happens," Samael flicked his tongue again, hissing, "when you pull a hand-puppet off of someone's hand, the hand is still there, isn't it?"

The both of them began giggling to themselves. As usual, Wizzro had no idea what was going on, but he felt things were going to get a little boring now that both Lord Crump and Zazan— the only two he held decent conversations with so far— were now gone.

—

She could feel it, the gates have been opened, a smile crept up on the Sleeping Princess's face. Between this, and bits of negative energy she collected, to create her own minion…

Whether or not she won, didn't mean much. The Sleeping Princess would prefer a victory for the sake of being intact, and disposing of all of the outsiders, now that they no longer had use since the machine was fully functional.

"Princess persoooooon?" A voice called out, making her smirk fade back into a drowsy, neutral expression. Two angels flew in front of her, Gabriel and Uriel, the former holding a horn as always. "The calvary has arrived!… In the form of two angels, but you know!"

"Who are you?" She asked, sleepily.

"Ah, you sound lazy, just like someone else I know in Makai!"

"Gabriel, he is. I'm Uriel. Samael sent us, to assist in the elimination of the murderers."

She was puzzled, but not unhappy about it. More help meant a higher chance of stalling everyone, or letting the Sleeping Princess herself get away. They certainly seemed like capable angels, she could feel overwhelming passion in one, and pride in the other. Such things probably were their downfall that lead to being sealed in Makai, no different than Samael and Sariel.

Plus, the one had a horn of some kind after all. May as well give everyone deaf ears with incredible trumpet-playing, as ridiculous as that sounded. "Very well, I shall allow this." She yawned, making Gabriel giggle with enthusiasm.

"She's so sleepy, just like the ones we know, Uri!"

"Uh, don't call me that."

"Alriiiight." They both then flew away to examine the Eighth Circle.

The Sleeping Princess couldn't believe how air-headed Gabriel was, for an angel that was somehow missing his left eye. Although, it wasn't like Samael's "friendly guy" outside was less weird.

It wouldn't be any loss if they got killed either.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

 **Violent Trials**

Boiling blood laid below everyone, once they arrived at the Seventh Circle; Violence. It would be one of the longest journeys, so they made sure to be prepared for whatever they ran into. As usual, no one could look at anything, especially not down at those fiery river.

The Barbarian King, Loki Master, Otis Monday, Malladus, the United Assassins Association, various mercenaries known in Metal Gear Solid, Zero-Two, some Tediz, even lunatic Toriningen. All of who were trapped in the boiling pits, but none could escape it seemed.

"Say angel, how come I'm not seeing any fellow, Twisted Metal competitors? You know, the ones we did take out for good?" Sweet Tooth asked Mr. Grimm.

"That's because I ate their souls, Kane." Sweet Tooth just stared at him, then laughed. "I'm telling the truth, this was before my addiction was eliminated." Scorpion just shook his head, while Nick wasn't too surprised. If anything, maybe this meant Mr. Grimm got rid of the somewhat annoying competitors in Twisted Metal 3 and 4.

"You sure that was a good idea to say that in front of so many?" The secondary voice spoke in Mr. Grimm's head.

"Neptune's characters know that I have plenty control by now." He said in his thoughts. "It's not like anyone will jump at me for getting involved in a fight." As usual, they had to not make eye-contact. Sir Daniel thought he heard something scratching against the ground, chuckling, but he knew he couldn't look. He nearly stopped, yes, but instantly kept moving. Somehow though, it was enough for one to pick up on the scent of familiarity, and fear.

Many smaller enemies were even down here. Ones that were slain, and could not permanently return. No one could look to see what those were, and those made to suffer could not hope to escape— except for one, able to claw his way up.

The laugh came closer, and Ichigo was constantly looking behind everyone, growing increasingly nervous. She began to latch onto Dust, who was also cautious, making sure to not lay eyes on anyone he may have encountered.

Ness was worried about meeting a certain alien by chance, but he couldn't feel his presence anywhere, which was a relief. He felt bad for Madotsuki though, she looked more blank than usual, lightly twitching every couple of seconds, as if trying to hide how anxious she really was.

Morrigan definitely felt a presence, one that out of everyone there, was targeting her. She reacted quickly, shielding herself with her own wings, as a hand with oversized claws attempted to impale her. "Ah, a filthy demon. I was not sure at first."

Turning on a dime, Morrigan looked at the one who had attempted to kill her. Giant, blue-green skin that was rather pale, a torn shirt and coat, undersized pants, wearing a top hat. The most notable traits were his razor-sharp teeth and the claws that had just tried to murder Morrigan.

Sir Daniel quickly got out his sword and shield, recognizing him all too well: the Ripper. The infamous killer who had attempted to kill Princess Kiya at Whitechapel. "'Allo there, knight. I haven't been exactly content, ever since you decided on not sparin' me."

"Mercy? For you!?" Sir Daniel retorted.

"Oh, so it's okay to let that book thief go?" Zarok taunted.

"As far as I'm concerned, Palethorn didn't kill lots of women." Nick said.

"Jumping to conclusions, aren't we? I merely wanted to clean the streets of those who were… filthy. Impure, should not be running around and givin' themselves out, spreading disease and all. You never gave me the time of day to let me plead my case, did you knight?"

"Kiya is none of those things, you vile—!"

"I wouldn't 'ave known, would I? She was chattin' with that madame."

Sir Daniel was ticked off more than ever, wanting to knock the Ripper back into the boiling pit below, but Zarok surprisingly of all people, held him back. "Lose control of yourself, and you'll be the one falling into that fiery river, Fortesque! As funny as that would be, I think the others need you right now." The wizard ended up having to use his magic, just so Sir Daniel would stand still.

Being that he was looking at another Jack right now, Raiden stepped forward, staring down at the murderer. "If you're here to settle the score with Dan, I'm afraid you're going to have to take on a whole army." The Ripper was simply amused by the idea, rather than afraid.

"I can try as many times as I like, I don't 'ave to worry about death anymore. But you, on the other 'and, once you die 'ere, I'm afraid, you get lost in 'ell." Grinning widely, the Ripper prepared to sink his claws into whoever was the easiest target. "The stout one goes first."

"Huh? What?" Fat Princess was caught by surprise as the Ripper tried to jump her, unlike normally, she wasn't prepared, but thankfully Nariko blocked the Ripper off with her Heavenly Sword. Realizing this was a real fight after all, Fat Princess pulled out her wand, ready to properly fend off the murderous monster.

But he was fast, able to make himself invulnerable, so none of the All-Stars could get a good hit on the Ripper. "Careful, we can't have any accidental friendly fire here, it could cost us our lives!" Sly pointed out to everyone. "Focus on just avoiding him—"

"Yipe!" Toro Inoue mewed, being picked up suddenly by the Ripper, who had cornered him. The claws were around his barely existing neck.

"You wouldn't serious stoop to animal cruelty, would you?" Raziel hissed.

"Oh? I thought this one wanted to be a 'uman."

"Wait, what? How do you know about that?" Jak asked.

"Learnin' from listenin', I get quite the visitors who talk abou— Agh!" The Ripper had made himself vulnerable for just a short period of time, but it was enough for Joel to take advantage of it, firing a hunting rifle at the Ripper. He dropped the white cat, who scrambled over to Cole.

The Ripper jumped onto a wall, then began jumping off all of them, trying to strike everyone in his way as he did so. Once he stopped, the All-Stars and other parties attempted to surround him, only for him to stretch his arms out and roar out a battle cry, something that nabbed Bahn's attention for some reason.

Fiery blasts of energy came raining down on everyone, difficult to avoid due to how it was a bit crowded, but some were able to put up a shield of some kind. "Come now, these are the allies of the knight who 'ad slain me?" The Ripper beckoned, before trying to jump Nikki next.

Right as he did, the Ripper made himself vulnerable for just a mere second, which was all Madi needed to knock the Ripper away with her Swordling. He didn't even notice Madi, as he was shoved over the edge, falling back into the boiling pit.

… At least, he would have, if not for the fact the Ripper had dug his claws into the hot walls to hang on. "My, quite the perfect aim you 'ave. Are you going to finish me off too, feline knight?"

P-Man looked at Madi for a split moment, both of them having the same thought. "If you leave us alone so we can continue our quest to the bottom of Hell, we'll spare you." Sir Daniel didn't know what to think when Madi said that, but the Ripper seemed pleased.

"That's what I like to 'ear, true honor from an actual knight, even if the likes of me don't deserve it." The Ripper chuckled, climbing back up to the surface, but doing nothing. "I only came up to get back at 'im, but that won't work, I see. If you must know, all of 'ell's big bosses 'ave been frozen. I'm just taking advantage of it, by gettin' up 'ere."

"What does that mean?" Caela murmured.

"Remember what Hoodlums mentioned about Gregg?" Conker replied.

"So that includes Mr. Death?" Sir Daniel mumbled.

"And Satan, I'm guessing!" Arle suggested.

"All of this must be why Hell is less supervised, I assume?" Bahn asked.

"Correct," the Ripper began to bite at his claws before speaking again, "the exception of one, who is simply trying to avenge 'is wife. That's all I can say on the matter. Good day to you." Chuckling and waving at them, he left the intruders alone, then began to taunt the sinners still stuck in the boiling river.

There was a long pause, everyone was no doubt confused by the Ripper's mannerisms. "If he wasn't a murderer that mutilated women, I would dare say he's almost a charming individual." Bayonetta commented. "No doubt his views on the world are skewed."

Finished with the first ring, they all moved onto the second…

—

The next part of the Violence circle made Madotsuki's body start shivering. Jack Walters had been here before, before being resurrected and then soothed back to sanity by Vert herself, while Colonel Radec had also been in the forest once.

Isaac Clarke knew the truth of one particular person, and he couldn't look anywhere. He heard voices, and was prepared to snap the moment something— or someone— touched him. He had to be strong, for Bleu, and wherever she may be.

Several harpies were claw and pecking at trees which were once human, Xavier looked over, knowing well that he knew no one in his life that had attempted suicide. "Any friends of yours, Arle?"

"No, the harpies here are more harpy-like." She replied, unamused, even though Xavier wasn't entirely joking. Arle did know a Harpy, but she was just a tone-deaf, winged girl, and not so much of a vicious monster.

It might have been because many were in tree-like states, but no one could truly recognize those who had disposed of their own lives. Caela thought she saw an Agent from Crackdown, who probably offed himself. Nick thought he saw a character from Persona that was driven to suicide, but the twisted trees were too sickening for him to look at, as ironic as it was.

At this point, it was pretty clear they didn't have to worry about being attacked. Those that would even have it out for anyone, were currently stuck as trees, so they could not move. All sinners were planted to the ground, they couldn't remove their roots if they had even tried.

"Well, we can make our way to the end without any setbacks I guess." Michael said, seeming a little confident. "The ring after this one, if I remembered the Inferno right, is violence against nature and gods isn't it?"

"Yeah, but you won't be going there, boy." A rather small demon of some kind approached the group, carrying a rifle that had a skull on the barrel and trigger of it. Wearing a jacket and top hat, having 8-balls for eyes, and spiked bracelets. "Not after takin' out my queen. I was informed of what you lot did to her!"

Caela knew who this devil was the moment she saw his eyes and the build of his head. "El Diablo!?" The only reason Caela knew who he was, is because she had intentionally bought all of the DLC packs for The Gunstringer, and had played as the alternate protagonist's story.

"You take Mictecacihuatl out the first time, I'm mildly irritated, as I could visit her in that freezing pit and take her with me wherever. Second time, with no ways for her soul to be brought down? Now I'm ticked." Pointing the rifle at the Microsoft characters, he prepared to fire.

"Mi… teca… see… Agh, I can't say that naaaaame!" Ichigo whined.

"He means the Lady of the Dead." Caela explained.

"Aaaand why does this horned idjit know 'er?" The Gunstringer wondered.

"I uh, think this is the guy she married, as that wizard said." Sho said.

"Oh, that's just great."

"We've had enough puppets for one day, thanks. Can you just get out of our—" Frank West was met with the rifle nearly shooting him as a response. Mr. Grimm couldn't help but find this odd that this lone devil was running around freely, contrary to what the Ripper had told them.

There had to be a reason to letting El Diablo do as he pleased, but Samael had to freeze everyone else that was a "high-ranked position" in Hell. He was inclined to get an answer out of the trigger-happy devil too, which wouldn't be hard.

"Why are you still around if all the higher-ups are supposed to be frozen? Shouldn't you be trapped too?"

"None of your business, Chromedome! A Grim Reaper has no business demanding stuff from a Hell Lord! And don't forget, I'm the one with a ready-to-blast gun!"

"I think you will answer my questions, and you won't have that gun for long."

"What are you talking about - hey!"

Sly snuck around and grabbed Diablo's gun with his cane, pulling it away and allowing Cole to freeze it with his ice powers. Sweet Tooth then pointed his shotgun at Diablo. "For the record, his nickname is _Angel_ , not Chromedome. Got it?" El Diablo then realized it wasn't such a good idea challenging his wife's killers when there's an army backing them up.

"Alright, Buzzkill the Clown," El Diablo answered, "Samael said that unlike the others who dunno how to do their job, I could stick around. Fine by me. He didn't go into much detail, other than asking that I don't get in the way, and allowing my wife to run free along with her ex-posse."

Sweet Tooth couldn't help but cringe at the name, while Michael folded his arms, trying to make logic of what El Diablo was saying. "I don't know much about you, since you're an Xbox exclusive, but it sounds like Samael— that was his name, wasn't it? Is trying to manipulate your presence, along with your wife's."

"Huh!?" El Diablo's jaw parts nearly popped off, but he adjusted them back into place. "Now, ain't that ridiculous. How or why would that puckish angel do that? The guy lost someone very important to him, I take pity, and you're saying he would use me?"

"If he's friends with your wife, there's a high chance she asked that Samael didn't freeze you, unlike everyone else. He went along with it, and then asked your wife, along with her friends to hold off the other Xbox characters!" El Diablo began to look nervous, somewhat seeing what Michael was getting at. "If your wife was destroyed, which she was, thanks to Octoman's help, you would learn of it and want to get back at us as soon as possible, wouldn't you?"

"That… sounds mighty possible. But I still don't buy it!"

"Well I do." Sabre said. Madi wasn't sure what to think really, as she had spoken to Samael only a handful of times, while Rin didn't want to believe it.

"H-hey, weren't you three trying to get revenge on those who stole your spots? Why are you—"

"We were wrong, and we're seeing that things are not as they seem." Madi replied.

"If you come with us, we'll reveal the truth about Samael and Lumine!" Caela exclaimed. "I don't want to have to fight you, El Diablo! 'Merican Adventure was fun!"

He went from tense, to rather amused by the turn of events. "You murderers, asking me to join you? That's laughable! Though, your theory has got me interested in finding out the truth myself."

"Is… that a yes, or a no?" Ichigo mewed.

"No." El Diablo then picked up the frozen gun, walking off nonchalantly, as if he had not been threatened just now. "Keep marching on, I'll be watching you freaks. If I find you were right, I'll help. But if you can't even make it…"

His words trailed off as his figure completely vanished in the Woods of Suicide. It all happened so fast, too.

"Thanks for-a trying to get him to see things our way, Michael." Mario said, glad that this didn't escalate into something ugly. Though, it was horribly one-sided to begin with.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out actually." For Michael, playing plenty of Ace Attorney games made him understand how some twisted masterminds work in their manipulations, so he was able to come up with a reason as to why Samael used both parties.

If this was true though, it made Caela hate the angel, even if they had not met just yet. "I think we're done here, maybe he'll join in and help us at some point, but now isn't the time." Cooper spoke, already moving ahead of everyone else. "Let's go so this part of the underworld can be done with! Come on!"

No room for argument could be made, everyone ran to the last ring of Violence.

—

This time, Ness could actually hear a voice calling out to him, one he could never forget. Though this time, their mind and body seemed to be more intact. Lucas was trying to pull himself together, and Madotsuki calmed down a little bit, after seeing someone with the same unease as herself.

Mewtwo was also unnerved. "Quite a lot of psychic energy, for one, rampant alien. Unfortunately, none of that can protect him from the raining flames." They all tried to ignore Giygas, in his original form, running like a madman as his alien skin was scorched by the flakes of fire.

"It hurts… it hurts… it wasn't my fault." His words echoed in the minds of all with psychic abilities. "George, he left Maria behind… tried to learn PSI… I was only trying to… it hurts, Ness, Ness, Ness—"

Covering his ears, Ness wasn't able to take it anymore. Lucas at least knew nothing about Giygas, beyond him being the reason Porky became corrupted with evil. Clutching onto Madotsuki, Ness hoped that her dream worlds would be less torturing than what he was putting up with right now.

It was calm, Madotsuki was envisioning docks, all above a giant, dark lake. Like the nightmare of her Hell was over, and replaced with the beautiful scenery. Ness hoped that it didn't take a turn for the worst, as he was now able to tune out Giygas, who ran away, covered in burns.

There was Professor Gerald Robotnik, Eggman's grandfather. Although his actions were primarily due to losing his granddaughter, his creation of the Biolizard and trying to destroy the planet, hoping for death to humanity, lead him where he was now. Unlike others who dared try to destroy nature, he had accepted his punishment it seemed. NiGHTS saw him upon glancing to the side, but didn't say a word about it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kratos saw former prisoners of the Furies, souls who broke their blood-oath with the gods like he did, only they weren't able to escape punishment.

Sly could have sworn he heard the cries of Clockwerk, whose hatred of the Cooper Clan made him change his body into an unnatural form, to gain immortality through hate. Immortality was a form of a crime against nature.

Jak heard cries of vengeance from Cyber Errol, who allied with the Dark Makers in a plot to destroy the planet. Crossing the sands, an evil laugh echoed through the area, one that Gex was able to identify instantly.

"Back for more, aren't you Rez? First time wasn't enough, I get it." Gex watched as the cyborg towered over nearly everyone there. "Only you would somewhat wish for violence against the other CPUs, wouldn't you? What for? Besides facing me again."

"The lack of proper conclusion that all of the CPUs could not give us. Bleu, I at least had faith in, until she had fallen along with her nation. Now, she is gone entirely, and the others plan to open up a gate to another world, so I can drag her back. Bleu was truly the only one who would most likely allow me to live on. I want my legacy to continue! Noire, Blanc, and the other two obviously wanted your adventure finished, along with myself… yet, you forgive it, Gex?"

"Rez, buddy, why so serious?"

"Now is not the time for your references!" Rez roared, losing his patience.

Everyone started to ready their weapons, all in unified aim for when this got ugly. But Gex seemed like he wasn't worried. No one knew Rez better than him, but it was proven time and time again that the rules have been seriously changed. If Gex's so-called "negotiations" turned sour, they would be ready to settle it the old-fashioned way.

"I agree with your idea of bringing Bleu back, but do you think she is seriously safe with your 'partners'? I don't think she'll be treated well, especially once they find out that she doesn't remember a thing."

"What?"

"According to these guys, Bleu has apparently lost her memory when she got to the outside world."

The outsiders stepped forward. "It's true. Around the same time that you said she disappeared, a woman appeared out of nowhere, matching your description of her. Only problem, she couldn't remember so much as her name. She was taken in by one of the nicest guys in the neighborhood, but hasn't been able to remember a thing."

"Natalie was nearby when she first arrived, saying that a bright light appeared before she did, claiming that it was the light that brought her."

Nick started to show regret. "Because of how crazy it sounded, we didn't believe her, and teased her for it, even saying she's going to start wearing tin foil hats. She should have believed her, she's not the type to make stuff up like that."

"Yeah, there, you see Rez? Bleu's in their world, and an amnesiac. Which, in a sense, would make her no use to a wannabe tyrant. Do you really want to block us and seriously risk that chance?"

Rez was stuck. He wanted Bleu back badly, but not if it was only to get her possibly killed. Of course, he mostly thought the army before him just wanted to stop them period. But it turns out their goals happen to coincide. "Fine. I'll let you go, but I have to go with you. If you're telling the truth, I want to help Bleu in any way I can. And if you're not, you will know my wrath."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go gang."

Gex walked off with Rez walking by him. The outsiders followed, with everyone else needing a moment to process a what just happen, a fight that was resolved by not fighting. But it saved them some time, so they didn't complain much as they headed to the Eighth Circle.

—

Natalie's conscious began to slowly return, color returning to her face, and the Dark Champion never left her side as she laid in the bed. He even grabbed onto her hand a few times. It was troubling, Samael could tell the Dark Champion was weakening.

Not in his power, but in his motivations. "Man, if he's not going to be of much help it turns out, then it might be a good time to ask the Sleeping Princess to bring down the negative energy she got. I mean, I already brought in that one guy!"

"What one guy?" Lumine asked, being unaware of this.

"Not too important! Don't wanna spoil the surprise. You could say his personality is kinda negative though."

Eyes opening, but vision still blurry, the Dark Champion waited for Natalie to say something. "Where…?" She murmured, still sounding exhausted. The Dark Champion held onto her shoulder, trying to ease her.

"Natalie, the gate to your world has been opened. You will be going home, as soon as you are feeling better, and Bleu shall hopefully return to Gamindustri." The Dark Champion explained to her. "I will gladly guide you back to your home if you—"

"But what about… the others?"

"I… I thought you wanted nothing to do with them."

"They… they shouldn't stay here, though. They need to go home too."

The Dark Champion knew why she cared, even though Natalie didn't want to be involved with her friends anymore. "Very well. After you, I shall make sure that they leave Gamindustri."

Words had multiple meanings, and in the Dark Champion's case, he did not know if he wanted the other outsiders to leave Gamindustri peacefully, them being damned to Hell, or them being lost in a completely other dimension.

He didn't know how long the whole truth could be hidden, and that was what made Samael wary of the Dark Champion.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

 **Malebolge**

The Eighth Circle, Fraud, was quite a whirlwind when everyone stepped in. Rather than being greeted with torture, familiar faces, or anything else. They were met with a different sort of Hell, more like, a Bullet Hell.

Hellish fairies were attempting to fire at those who came close. Caela transformed into Aya again for extra speed, and attempted to clear the way by destroying the fairies. "What's going on here!?" Corrin exclaimed, her obvious— albeit ridiculous— phobia of fairies showing.

"Just a bunch of fairy pests, they're weak and don't do much. Though, I wonder why this is the place they're most rampant in." Caela answered, taking care of the last one, which cleared the area it seemed.

That was when out of nowhere, after the hefty amount of fairies, an angel flew in. He didn't say a word, simply taking out a staff and unleashing a series of fiery bullets at everyone.

"What in the world? An angel? Is this fool Samael?" Zarok asked.

"No. Samael was… shorter." Madi answered.

"And his outfit was tattered up, this is a more proper angel." Sabre pointed out.

Reimu joined Caela in trying to deplete the angel's vitality, but he simply took out a spellcard, placing his lips to it before pulling away, and calling out his attack. "Passion Sign: Flare to the Heart!" He shouted, creating clusters of dark-colored, heart-shaped obstacles.

No one really expected him to have this sort of attack, and the pattern made things even harder. Hearts bounced off of walls, and began going in multiple directions. Both Caela and Reimu tried to avoid what they could, focusing on where the bullets would hit, as the angel continued attempting to burn them too.

With no other options since that seemed to be his only spellcard, the angel flew away, out of sight. "Hey! Don't run off just yet, we need to know who you are!" Nick shouted, but alas, the angel was gone.

Once the hearts suddenly exploded, P-Man looked back at everyone present. "Is no one hurt?" They all answered with a yes, although they were greatly startled by the very sudden ambush. To Reimu and Caela though, that angel was simply a midboss, meaning the real fight would be straight ahead, after avoiding more fairies that tried to get in the way.

Their suspicions were confirmed, upon the sight of the Sleeping Princess, who looked like she had fallen asleep while standing up. Arle's reaction was pure shock.

"Y-you…! I defeated you in that castle!"

"Hmm… oh yes, you did, Miss Nadja."

"In fact, I'm pretty sure, I killed you!" Arle objected further.

"Yes… it's enough, for someone else to…"

The Sleeping Princess began to fall back asleep, ignoring Arle's presence. "Uh, you're the one that had to fight her?" Conker asked, unsure what to think of this.

"I was tasked to rid of the menace in the Elysium Castle, so one could have their wish granted. It was a task made because my school was under maintenance back then, so there was no class that day." Arle explained in full. Now at least, the Microsoft characters knew what they had fought before in Leanbox.

Not having much to say as a response, the Sleeping Princess, with her eyes still closed, readied her staff. "This is it, you outsiders will be killed, by my magic. I still hold a grudge over what happened earlier. Your friend being welcomed by the Dark Champion, Lumine, and Samael has not changed that."

Everyone figured that must have meant Natalie. Though, Xavier found something odd about all of this. "What happened to the Eternal Champion? He was the one looking out for Natalie, and brought her here, did he not? That is what I was told, at the very least."

"Hmm, no sense in hiding this from you, since such information isn't going to help you now." The Sleeping Princess gave a tired smile, one that could be easily read as false innocence. "It was never the Eternal Champion who spoke with the one outsider. His brother masqueraded as him. The Eternal Champion was frozen, so he would not get in the way, and the balance of the world would be tilted in the favor of disasters."

Deception, such a was a form of fraud, making this encounter all too meaningful. Not to mention, the Sleeping Princess revealing how they all tricked Natalie, fit the pieces together even more. "Wait, it was him this whole time!?" Beat exclaimed, rightfully shocked.

"He did a wonderful job imitating his brother, I am aware."

 **BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

The Sleeping Princess had to back away from a sudden heavy barrage, but still took some damage from the intensity of the combined shockwaves. She looked up to Nick with the RYNO V, Michael with an heavily charged Blaster Arm, and Caela with a Fuel Rod Cannon, with faces of rage even greater than hers.

"You…"

"….are…"

"…...DEAD!"

The outsiders just let loose with the most powerful weapons, spells, and techniques they knew, not letting up for a second. The Sleeping Princess was definitely being kept on her toes, and it seemed like it was going to be a one-sided battle. But the Mircosoft characters knew how much of a threat the Sleeping Princess was in a battle. They quickly joined the fight, with the others following.

The sudden fury accompanied by the reinforcements proved to be more than what the Sleeping Princess expected. It only served to increase her hatred of the outsiders more and more. As much as she hated to admit it, she would definitely need the help of those angels.

"Cosmic Ray!" Trying to blind all of those who were present, and send a few of them back, the Sleeping Princess looked beyond a hellish horizon, hoping that the flash indicated that she needed aid.

The sound of a trumpet echoed throughout the area, as a new angel came out to greet the intruders. "Uri warned me that you would need our help, so here I am!"

Annoyed at how loud his instrument was, the Sleeping Princess directed at the Smash Bros., All-Stars, and Microsoft crew. "You and your friend should distract them. I want to focus on those outsiders." The Sleeping Princess glared at Arle, Xavier, and Beat. "Along with those from Planeptune."

"You got it! Leave everything to me!" The chipper angel instantly flew over to the three separate groups, looking eager to show everyone what he could do. But deep down, he was also excited to get his revenge. "Hey! You murderers!"

Their attention snapped to the angel. "Another one of you guys? Can't you give it a break? Your friend already tried getting in our way, thank you very much." Conker said, rather impatiently.

"Murderers and liars don't get away from Gabriel, I'm afraid!"

"Gabriel?" Palutena questioned to herself.

"Murderers and liars? What kind of nonsense are you—"

"Hold it!" Gabriel interrupted Laharl, and took out his horn again. "Let my Trumpet of Revelation find the murderers and accomplices, I don't need to hear it from those who wanna cover up the truth from me!"

"Trumpet of what? You're crazy!" Falco yelled, as Gabriel began to play his trumpet. He hit each note of the trumpet perfectly, making a handful of the characters become nervous. Even though it was just a mere instrument, Gabriel could identify Sariel's killers with it.

He looked at Reimu first, clearly upset. "It was you, shrine maiden! You killed Sariel!" She winced, knowing it was true, and it wasn't really a secret, especially to Rin. What Gabriel said next though, surprised her more. "And you… you six were accomplices!"

Pointing at Donte, Dart, Pit, Ike, Marth, and the Gunstringer, all six of them were shocked. Pit stammered at the accusation, wanting to defend himself along with the others. "Y-you don't understand, he and his partner, they were collaborating with—"

"Whoa, you actually helped kill some other angel?" Dark Pit asked, laughing.

"You're not helping!" Ike snapped.

"Mr. Gunstringer," Rin began, "you… had a hand in killing Sammy's friend?"

"I, uh—"

"Horrible! Sariel was loved by many fellow, fallen angels in Makai!" Gabriel nearly started to cry, but winced in pain, stopping him. "I would actually shed tears right now, but my left eye…" He shook his head, trying to be strong. "Anyway, I'm at least happy to know I can avenge him."

"Isn't Gabriel supposed to be a girl that fuses with two other angels?" Corrin wondered.

"Um," Gabriel hesitated, "I don't have green skin, and my hair isn't blue."

"There's probably more than one angel called Gabriel." Lucina pointed out.

"Though now since you mention it, maybe I'll give the murderers a sting of death!"

Even though his words were angry, Gabriel sounded as if he was also playing along, even if he was pretty much threatening others with death. Reimu found this to be nothing more than typical banter with opponents before a danmaku battle started.

He instantly started off by firing tons of little stars, which came in multiple colors and scattered around, all over the place. Unlike before, where it was simple to avoid the fairies and the other angel's hearts, the stars were all fast moving. Something that was near impossible for everyone to avoid, as evident by several characters being hit by a few of the stray stars.

"So many of you knocked down just from that… Oh, but the murderers remain!?" Gabriel huffed, noticing that six in particular, along with a handful of other characters weren't knocked out by the star-power. "Actually, that's good, because it means I get to use my spells. I take great pride in those!" A card was taken out of his robe, as Gabriel called out the name attached.

" _ **Bright Star: The Morning Venus!"**_

A giant star formed above Gabriel, and then split off into several copies. Reimu found this pattern simple enough, merely only kind of flashy, which she assumed all of his attacks were probably going to be. Though for the others, they actually wished someone would try and bomb the stars away.

After a good minute or so, Master Chief used his rifle to get a good shot at Gabriel, which forced him to cancel out of the spellcard. "Trumpet of Revelation: Song of Exposition!" He shouted, proceeding to play his trumpet at full blast after saying the next spell's name.

Now along with the tons of small stars, were musical notes of all things, circling their way over to their targets— specifically, the seven who had killed Sariel.

"He's pretty talented for an angel. Why do trumpets sound best when going with curtain-fire or whatever it's called?" Captain Smiley wondered.

"I don't think this is the time or the place to ask that—" Vince was cut off by a stray star knocking him away, the same happened to Captain Smiley seconds later. Running out of breath after a while, Gabriel couldn't help but be annoyed that the "murderers" managed to avoid him again, despite his rather complex patterns.

"Uuugh, this is harder than I thought… I can't blow away everything I have, Uri, Uri, help me out pleeeeease!" The angel from earlier flew in at the exact second Gabriel was calling his name. "Uriel, the murderers are here, they're slippery!"

"I ran into them before, and you know I don't have many spellcards…"

"But… you'll help because we're friends, right?"

"Of course." Uriel replied, giving a smug expression as he joined in, unleashing flames like he did before.

Cole could only absorb their attacks for so long before unfortunately having to stop, leading to a flame hitting him. Isaac Clarke couldn't keep deflecting the bullets either, also being struck. Sir Daniel Fortesque's shield broke as well.

Ness and Lucas couldn't keep the PSI Magnet going for too long. Fox, Falco, and Wolf stopped their Reflectors for a split second, and at the worst time. Mr. Game & Watch's oil can overflowed with oil, but he couldn't send it back.

Anyone that could absorb attacks, sadly couldn't keep it up due to the amount of bullets. Gabriel called his next spellcard, and Master Chief winced, hoping that the outsiders and SEGA characters were having it less rough.

"COSMIC RAY!"

Everyone had to duck, again, to avoid another barrage. The Sleeping Princess also got a major power-up from the New Game Plus energy, but most of her energy seemed to come from her increasing temper. Nick looked over at Caela and Michael. "Did any of you have to deal with her?"

"I did."

"How did you beat her?"

"We…...didn't exactly beat her."

"What?"

"We were able to weaken her, but Rin healed her when she was still confused about the situation, then she escaped."

"OK, then, how did you weaken her?"

"Just keep wearing down her endurance."

"You realize that required hitting her, right? Something we're unable to do right now?"

"Well, what kind of a plan do you have?"

While Michael was providing cover fire for their bickering, Nick turned to see who was with them, seeing all of the SEGA characters with them. Looking at them, an idea started to form in his head. Signaling the others, they regrouped while he told them his strategy.

The Sleeping Princess was growing impatient. She wanted those pests destroyed now, even if she had to take down everything to do it. She was about to summon one of her most powerful attacks…..

….when she heard mariachi music coming from her side. She turned to see Amigo dancing with Ulala providing the music. Obviously, she wasn't amused and was about to blast when she heard a strange rumbling behind her. She turned around to see Billy Hatcher rolling a huge egg at her. She was a little surprised, but it would take more than that to beat her. She blasted the egg with little effort.

When the egg exploded, it revealed AiAi behind it in one of his balls, with Beat on top balancing on his skates. Before the Sleeping Princess could retaliate, Beat got close enough to spray paint over her eyes, blinding her. Arle, Vectorman, Earthworm Jim, Toejam and Earl used this opportunity to keep her off balance with long range attacks. This allowed Ristar plenty of time to prepare his trajectory with his arms, stretching them, grabbing the princess, then launching towards her with Xavier, Alex, Akira, Bahn, and Chuck in tow.

After being blinded and blasted, the Sleeping Princess now had to deal with a barrage of physical attacks of devastating proportions. She could only make wild swings until she could see again. When her eyes started to clear up, she saw that her current attackers had backed off, to make way for Gilius, with NiGHTS turning into a second axe for him to wield. He came down with a cross-chop, dealing heavy damage to the Sleeping Princess.

Everyone stood still for a few moments as the dust settled, ready to move if it didn't work. Michael did take one moment to talk. "I'm kind of amazed, Nick."

"At what?"

"That you would be able to figure out how to use their abilities to the fullest, despite them being out of your usual realm of expertise."

"Well, you know, she spoke about them at every opportunity, so I would catch on to a thing or two."

Michael and Caela smirked as the form of the Sleeping Princess began to slowly rise, prompting everyone to brace for anything.

The clusters of hearts and other lasers finally ceased after Pit fired many arrows at the two angels. It took a while though, since Uriel was practically a meat-shield for Gabriel, taking a majority of the hits for his partner. However, they didn't even cool down, to let everyone else take a breather.

"Pride Sign: Visible, Stunning Spectrum!" Several large, colorful lasers were aimed in multiple directions, and began to curve as well.

"Gah, it had to be curvy lasers, didn't it!?" Reimu gritted her teeth, going ahead and using a bomb just to get them out of the way. This was Gabriel's last spellcard most likely, indicating that he would be done for after this, if not for his partner getting in the way constantly.

Donte, Ike, and Marth were unfortunately down for the count. Pit was soon hit by a laser as well, taking him by surprise, which his dark counterpart didn't take too kindly, and neither did Palutena.

"Pit!" The goddess shouted.

"Tch, this flashy weirdo isn't allowed to beat him!" Getting frustrated, Dark Pit flew over to Gabriel, as both he and Uriel were focused mainly on Reimu, Dart, and the Gunstringer. If anyone was going to finish this, it might as well be another angel. Taking aim and barely hesitating, Dark Pit fired an arrow.

Straight at Gabriel's non-existent left eye. If Sir Daniel saw what was going on, he would surely cringe, but he was still on the ground, knocked out. Uriel looked back at his partner, the both of them completely silent at what had just occurred.

Losing his control of flight, Gabriel began to fall. Uriel watched in horror, before trying to desperately grab onto his ally. "No, no, no no no! Gabriel!" Uriel yelled, trying to make a graceful landing, and trying to take the arrow out.

It was successfully removed, at the cost of the budding flower that was growing out of Gabriel's socket. Uriel gagged, trying not to look, while Dark Pit was speechless. He had done that, yes, but didn't expect it to be that drastic.

"Should I finish the job? They are angels after all." Bayonetta asked, readying her guns. Almost everyone still up and conscious wanted to yell "no" at her, but was beaten to the punch instantly.

"You murder Sariel, injure my friend, and now wish to off me?" Uriel turned back to the witch, pointing his staff, and then pulling off the bottom of it, revealing it to be a flaming sword. "The only reason I don't rely on spells, is because I prefer this sort of combat. I regret not putting more effort into protecting Gabriel, so I shall do what he would have wanted… and rid of you murderers!"

"What's with everyone calling some of us murderers in some way?" Dart was getting fed up with all of this now, being that he was standing, and probably the only one who could properly face off against someone whose blade was pretty much on fire. Especially when he was in the form of the Red-Eyed Dragoon.

During this, the Sleeping Princess began to cast a spell, one that none expected the likes of her to use.

" _ **Final Vortex!"**_

A giant vortex opened up above Nick, Michael, Caela, and the SEGA characters. Arle gasped, as lightning crashed down on all of them. Some were able to avoid it, but others were struck. She couldn't believe it. This wasn't an attack the Sleeping Princess used, but rather, someone else Arle had fought years ago.

"That is right, Miss Nadja," the Sleeping Princess chuckled, "does this look familiar? I'm certain it does." Her voice began changing, to a deeper one, that disturbed many. "I have become one, with someone that had worthy power. As this is my only means of speaking with others."

"Whoa, what? Uh, what does that mean exactly?" Sonic exclaimed, trying to get up, after being struck by the lightning. "Is there something about this chick that we don't know?" The Sleeping Princess began walking over towards them all, slowly, in a zombie-like manner that sent chills.

They had to keep fighting back, because she definitely wanted Nick, Michael, and Caela dead. "Jugem!" Arle shouted, causing a bright light to strike the Sleeping Princess, but her body flashed as that spell was casted, not accepting the attack. "Th-these are all methods of another, which could only mean… he's involved?"

"He? 'He' who!?" Earthworm Jim yelled, wanting an answer.

"The Pha—"

"Meteor Shower!" The Sleeping Princess chanted, making meteors fall onto her opponents.

Everyone scattered to move from the falling rocks, but Arle was still a little shocked from the familiarity, leading to a rock hitting her head and knocking her out. Caela pulled out Gunstringer's revolvers. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt?"

"Ah, you were the one who gave me a great heap of trouble last time." The Sleeping Princess glared at Caela, opening her eyes so only a small part of the color could be seen. "I think out of all of them, you should be the one who goes first. Even if you are all of equal power… Black Hole!" Opening another vortex with her magic, Caela and the others were drawn towards the Sleeping Princess, making it difficult to aim at her.

Any sort of projectile like a bullet from the revolvers went straight to the vortex instead. In order to avoid being hurt, the three of them changed back to their spectral forms, right as the Sleeping Princess tried to repel them away. "You try to avoid me killing you this much? How meaningless, it all ends the same way."

Michael had to think, the Sleeping Princess was probably the most difficult opponent they were facing so far. There had to be a way, there was a way, but what was it? The real question wasn't how they would attack the Sleeping Princess, but rather, how they can weaken her, in a way that avoided physical contact?

She was powered up by remnants of the New Game Plus, and the reason they were all there now, was for the same reason. They had to fight fire, with fire, but how would that be even possible? The answer was somewhere…

… Right in front of them, at that. Michael now knew what he could try to do. It may not work, but it was worth attempting. He allowed the Sleeping Princess to get close, then ran over, grabbing her shoulder. "What sort of fool are you?" The Sleeping Princess questioned, before realizing what Michael was doing, making her try to pull away.

"I can take the power given to her!" Michael exclaimed, raising Caela and Nick's spirits. "She can't hurt us, or do anything about it when we're in this form!" She began to open her eyes more, which matched the reddish color of her hair.

"Would our power increase if—" Nick's question was instantly answered by Michael transforming into Mario, and using the red plumber's final smash. Michael unleashed a pair of fireballs, twisting around and expanding. The Sleeping Princess waiting for it to make contact with her body, as she couldn't try to shield herself from this one.

Being hit, the Sleeping Princess was knocked into a wall, leaving a princess-shaped fissure of some kind. "Take her New Game Plus power, now!" Nick and Caela did exactly as Michael suggest, trying to absorb whatever remnants of energy she had. It would be a huge advantage to them, and leave the Sleeping Princess powered down.

She was already hurt as well, and unable to do much else. That was at least, until a flaming sword was swung at Nick. "You will not murder anyone here. Both her and my friend are making it out of here alive!" Uriel snapped, as the Sleeping Princess weakly pulled herself out of the wall.

"I wished to rid of you here, but it seems once again, I am at a disadvantage, especially with…" The Sleeping Princess sighed in pain, burn marks on her dress and body. Although they did not look fatal, despite what Michael did, she was still in a rather frail state. "We'll meet again, very soon, but your friend may not live for much longer after what you have done."

"No! I won't let you get away again!" Caela shouting, trying to grab the Sleeping Princess, who used her staff to vanish. In frustration, Caela began yelling to herself, and transformed into Sho, using a blaster on the angel out of frustration. He blocked it off with his blade, amused at Caela's reaction.

"You're all certainly passionate humans, I will give you that. Passion is dangerous, like fire. I'm not referred to as the 'flame of god' for nothing." Raising the sword, he prepared to fend them off, even if he knew that the remaining characters that stood would rush to their aid.

That was quickly halted however, when a Water Shuriken hit Uriel's sword. He simply paused for a moment, noticing that the flames were out, and tried to ignite them, only to be hit by Greninja's Shadow Sneak a second later. Caela and Nick nearly thought it was Michael who did that, only to see he was standing there, also surprised at the Pokémon's surprise attack.

They all took advantage of it though, as did the few still standing, cornering Uriel. "This is how it ends? You murder me in the same way that—"

"Cut it out, we're not killing you!" Caela snapped, her patience now gone entirely. Naturally, Rin began healing everyone that was attacked, although she wasn't exactly happy with the outcome. Gabriel's health returned to him, but he forced his left eye shut, twitching in pain still.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to let you get killed like Sammy's friend was." As Rin said that, pangs of guilt hit those responsible for Sariel's demise— the exception being Donte, arrogant as ever. "What happened to your eye exactly?" She asked the wincing angel.

Gabriel stammered, both out of fear, and the throbbing pain that Rin was trying to stop. "A seed was planted in me, as punishment for sins. It ended up growing, and—"

"Never mind, stop telling us, we don't need to know." Dark Pit said.

"B-but you're the one who shot at me! And the rest of you…"

"You're just in the same position as that devil puppet, probably being used." Dart explained.

"What? What do you mean?"

Donte wanted to snap at how dense Gabriel was— not to mention overly prideful, since he was so proud of his colorful and flashy spellcards. "They suspect Samael is playing us for fools." Uriel tried to pull himself back up with the sword in his hands, sheathing it. "As much as I would believe it, because of all his trickery, none of you have solid evidence."

This was true. They had no proof of that, for all they knew, Samael wouldn't betray other angels. "You cannot unveil the truth like Gabriel does."

"That's where you're wrong!" Reimu retorted, pointing her purification rod at him. "Sariel and Konngara were working with someone who threatened Gamindustri, it was either we eliminated them both, or they would kill us without mercy! Is Samael aware of this!?"

Both angels went silent, and Gabriel slowly lifted his trumpet. A couple of honks, then he whispered to his partner. "She's not hiding anything in that regard, what do we do?" The two began murmuring to themselves, as if deciding what action they should take.

Their ultimate decision involved them both looking back at the rest. "You may pass the Fraud circle, if only to prove your innocence to Samael. He should listen." Uriel then snapped his fingers, pointing at the stairs. "When you are done resting, you should head to your final destination, where he waits."

No one could really argue. Uriel was letting them pass pretty much, after all of that.

The outsiders were still worried. Nick was close to freaking out. "All this time…...all this time…!" Calea grabbed his shoulder. "Calm down. She could be lying." Nick just looked at her. "She's right. The Sleeping Princess didn't look like she was all there, so maybe she was lying to rile us up." Nick glanced at Michael. "It's working. But I'll go along with your theory for now. But if you're wrong, don't hold me back." He started walking with the others. Caela and Michael hoped that they were right.

Soon, things would be cleared up, Natalie would be won back, Lumine, the Dark Champion and Samael would be exposed, the Sleeping Princess wouldn't get away…

The truth lied in the ninth, final circle in Hell. The one for traitors, trapping them in ice; Cocytus.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

 **Betrayals**

Stepping into the world of ice, everyone bypassed the traitors to their kin, attempting to ignore those who had everything but their heads below the water.

As usual, Rin was rather out of it compared to Madi and Sabre, who didn't seem to mind the revelation of Sariel's death. They figured it was definitely justified, but since Rin trusted Samael's every word, she was completely torn.

"Should we say something? Like, explain what happened?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm not going to," Vince replied, "Gunstringer, can you do it?"

"I don't think she's gonna talk ta me, or the miko after learnin' that we both—"

"Sounds more like you're afraid to." Reimu interrupted, smiling.

"A-afraid? What do ya mean by that? An' why are ya smilin', miko?"

"Maybe because someone has a crush."

Gunstringer turned to Caela, who was smiling more than Reimu. Some of the Microsoft characters who heard that raised their eyebrows in surprise, with Vince and Kazooie starting to giggle. Gunstringer's head whipped around several times, seeing everyone looking at him. "N-n-now see here, hombres….."

"What are you talking about?" Rin floated near when she saw all of them huddled.

The Gunstringer nearly jumped out of his boots. "Uh, well, we were, uh…."

"We were saying that Gunstringer and Reimu owe you an explanation about Sariel." Caela backed up to give them room, much to Gunstringer's dismay.

Reimu pulled him forward. "Come on, if both of us talk, it'll make it easier." She leaned in close. "It might even make other things more easy, wink, wink." The Gunstringer really wanted to knock down Reimu, but he was already in enough potential hot water with Rin, so he had to let it go and hide his embarrassment for now.

—

The Sleeping Princess warped to Samael's location, nearly collapsing. Both he and Lumine were taken by surprise, while Wizzro began contemplating upon the sight of her. "Whoa, I take it even with Gabe and Uri's help, you couldn't do much to hold them back?" Samael asked, not even bothering to help her up.

"They are coming…"

"Yeah, I figured. Welp! Better get in places, everyone! You too, Dark Champ."

"What? But Natalie—"

"You can protect her later, and let her know what's going on."

"She needs to get home!"

Samael was growing more irritated with this. They needed the Dark Champion to help, being that he was capable of having people die to their worst fears. He didn't betray his own brother for nothing. "Listen, I like the cutie too, but Sleeping Princess is hurt also! Can you take her place for a little while? Maybe ask her to watch Natalie!"

"Me? Watch one of them? If you dare stick me with one of those things…."

"See? Natalie will be in danger if I leave her side! She needs me to protect her!"

"OK, fine, how about this? Sleeping Princess, if you lay a finger on the cutie, you'll painfully hear from me personally! Happy now?"

The Dark Champion still didn't trust the circumstances, but was willing to trust in Samael's threat, especially when the Sleeping Princess started grumbling in a reluctant manner. He turned and started to join with Lumine and Wizzro. After he was out of hearing range, Samael leaned into Sleeping Princess's ear.

"The redhead is a cutie, but she might be a little cuter as a sacrifice, don't you think?" The Sleeping Princess started to smile gleefully. "The Dark Champion has become a liability, and he needs to be snapped out of it. And our incoming opponents need to have their spirits crushed. So maybe when they get here, their little friend just happens to, 'get hurt'? Maybe that'll remind everyone who are the good guys and the bad guys."

The Sleeping Princess stood up, walking slowly to where Natalie was to while regaining her strength. When she entered, she saw that Natalie now had enough strength to prop herself up a little on her arms. "Are the others really coming?"

"Yes, they really are quite persistent, literally braving all of Hell to get here."

"That makes me a little glad. Even though I want nothing to do with them anymore, we'll all be able to get home, while you get back Bleu."

The Sleeping Princess could only grin to herself, enjoying Natalie's clueless innocence while imagining the looks of agony on all their faces, wishing that they would get here sooner, just to see them all die inside.

Rin couldn't believe her ears. "Wha-what? He was involved in a conspiracy against Gamindustri? So you had to kill him?"

"It was more like we had no choice. In a sense, L.O.G. was our true enemy, Sariel and the others were in our way. We had to go through them to get to him."

"So L.O.G. was the real cause of - but Samael made it sound like - "

Rin looked like she was about to lose all sense of everything. Her truth was shattered, finally realizing what they were dealing with. She almost fainted, but the Gunstringer caught her. "It didn't really have ta happen that way. If the fight was like the ones we had on our way here, he might still be alive. But he wouldn't bother ta talk, leavin' only two choices, lose him, or lose the world. Ya can blame us if ya want, but we had ta do what we had ta."

Rin then surprised everyone by wrapping her arms around Gunstringer and crying. "W-what am I supposed to believe in? Everything seems to have a hidden side, and I'm always getting lied to."

"You can try ta believe in us now, and in everyone in Gamindustri. Some of us may have not have had a game in years, but we still fight the good fight, working forward for the future, for everyone." Rin stopped crying, gave a small smile, and hugged the Gunstringer a little tighter before continuing to walk ahead to where Samael and the others were, finally ready to give him a piece of her mind.

Reimu and Kazooie had to hide their giggling while Conker and Vince gave Gunstringer a thumbs up. The Gunstringer was tempted to get his pistols out, but he knew he couldn't ruin the mood.

After the moment, everyone kept moving. Toon Link nearly saw Chancellor Cole, completely frozen over for his betrayal of Princess Zelda in one of the timelines. It was almost ironic, he was put below Malladus, implicating that his sins were somehow greater than the demon's.

Viktor was there, which only Nick recognized, his sins being obvious and managing to surpass greed. Kirby constantly looked around, thinking he would find Marx again, but it seemed that after a couple of years ago, he was destroyed for good.

Before they could look at anyone else, a voice greeted them. "Hello there, intruders! Gonna stop you while you're ahead, because I can't have you running too far." Flying towards everyone was the rather short angel himself, Samael, accompanied by Lumine, the Dark Champion, and Wizzro.

Dr. Nefarious and Scervo were first to react. "Lumine!? You don't mean to say it's true, do you!?" Nefarious shouted, hoping that the reason was not one of complete betrayal. Lumine tried to look pitiful at first, as if worrying about his position.

"Nefarious, I had no intention of betrayal, it was that they offered me to push things a little more forward. You could help too, in all of this—"

"That is a lie." Lawrence stated, firmly.

"What?" Lumine's expression instantly darkened.

"Butler, what ye be talkin' about?" Scervo questioned.

"Lumine, if you truly wanted Nefarious in on this, you would have contacted him immediately, or made mentions of it. Not to mention, you got Mercury out of Planeptune according to the 'squishies', then dropped off the moment she was harmed." Lawrence explained. "If your friends knew we were coming down, you also would have visited us sooner as well. Do you not find that just a bit odd, you are the one trying to win us over?"

Gritting his teeth, Lumine tried to calm down, while everyone else was impressed with Lawrence being able to figure him out. "Honestly, I was wary of you from the start, and warned Nefarious. Not much I could do, in my position. I really should have stopped you though, for what you clearly had done to Mercury."

"Y-you… you didn't really, did you?" Dr. Nefarious became a mix of angry, yet fearful, once he saw Lumine's smile.

"She had some hardware I wanted. A flimsy badnik, made to be the CPU of robots? Nefarious, you could have given that power to yourself even, but you were far too idiotic. Though, maybe you couldn't handle the thought. Both because of your limitations, and because Mercury reminds you of someone else?"

Nefarious completely froze. He wanted to scream, but was too stunned at Lumine for knowing about that. "So you want to take this for me and show everyone your new form with the hardware you stole, Lumine? I mean, that's fine, keep them all occupied. I get to deal with the murderers though." Samael grinned.

"Ah, so it was you," Zarok grumbled, "you're the one who—"

"Told Gallowmere's King that you did some shady stuff? Yep."

"And you're proud of this?"

"It was funny to watch."

Pit, Dark Pit, and Bayonetta definitely wanted to be in on going against Samael. As did Zarok obviously, and strangely enough, Sir Daniel, indicating that he wasn't happy that he was the reason for his untimely death. Morrigan, Laharl, and Valvatorez were curious about this fellow Makai resident, while Sabre stepped forward too.

Rin tried to stop Reimu and the Gunstringer from doing anything too rash, but everything was spiraling out of control so fast, especially when Samael saw Reimu. "Oh! There you are, shrine maiden. You know, out of everyone, I think I hate your guts the most, for what happened to Sariel and Konngara."

"I know he was your friend, but surely you're aware that he—"

"I'm aware? I think it's you who should be aware, that _**you murdered my own son.**_ "

The hateful looks on Sir Daniel and Zarok were instantly wiped off, replaced by pure shock. The Gunstringer felt even more guilt biting him when he heard those words, and Reimu was too stunned to say a word.

"S-son!?" Rin gasped, hands trembling.

"But… yer puny!" The Gunstringer pointed out.

"He looks like my age, at best!" Pit agreed.

"I've been around for centuries, before any of you were born." Samael sighed. "I just… look cute and dainty, I know."

Sabre was the only one besides Bayonetta who didn't seem to react much to the new information. "I already knew, I overheard your conversation with the Sleeping Princess once. If anything, it only made me lose a lot of my trust for you. You're taking the same path of destruction over your kin, in the same way Randorn would." He shook his head, although, Bayonetta had a different thought in mind.

"I think you tried to brush off the shrine maiden's words, so I shall finish her sentence. Were you not aware of Sariel working with the Lord of Games?" Bayonetta questioned, knowing that this one was some kind of master in manipulation.

"Of course I know about it, who do you think told him to get involved with tha— oops!"

Everyone just stopped for a moment as Samael clasped his hand over his mouth. It took a few moments for the shock to fully sink in.

"What the…."

"He did….."

"He knew….."

"What the Hell, man?"

"Well, guess there's no more point in this stupid farce, now is there, you simpletons?"

Regaining his composure, Samael started to look more sinister. "Yes, I was the one who sent Sariel to join up with L.O.G. I'll admit, I didn't quite expect his death to happen during the battle, but truth be told, trash deserves to be disposed of." The shock just kept piling up as he started cackling. "I guess it's good thing I never told that trash the truth of our relationship! I was never even interested in a kid anyway! It was just that there was this succubus I hung around with in my younger days, and next thing you know, I'm a father!"

Morrigan took a little offense to that, but she knew that some of the others had a greater right to be enraged. "I was forced to take the brat in. So I played along. And he turned out to be a really convenient tool! If it wasn't for him, I would have been the one to die the battle for Gamindustri! I actually have him frozen in a special place in the ice so I can do some taunting in my alone time!"

The outsiders felt their glows intensify from having their tempers flare up. Most of the characters started to have really itchy trigger fingers. But none were as itchy as the Gunstringer's, who was worried about what he would say next. "Some of those morons that I fed my story to, you know, like El Diablo and those two other angels, they ate every word I said. It's so easy to believe a sob story with a cute face like this. But none of them had such a delicious, idiotic reaction as you!"

He pointed at Rin, who was about to lose all light in her eyes. She didn't move, didn't speak, only stood there and listened as her world was shattered. "You saw me as a guardian angel, a savior who you would gladly hand the world over, one who would bring you eternal happiness. In fact, I heard you referred to me as your boyfriend, right? Haha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Your feelings really ran that deep? For such a stupid lie? I've had several women before you that fell for my words, who could do much better! I almost don't want to kill you, so I can look at that hopeless, despair-filled face forever! And it'll be your own fault for believing me! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Rin fell to her knees, a second later an intense, almost ghostly wail coming from her lips. Her sadness filled the room, threatening to shatter everyone's eardrums like the way he shattered her heart. Only one thing broke through the screams.

 **BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!**

Samael was able to dodge the shots easily. Rin looked up in shock to see the Gunstringer reloading. "Ya just crossed the line, buckeroo, and I'm going to collect."

"We're going to collect." Zarok stepped forward to everyone's surprise. "I know, I haven't been the poster boy of kindness, but even I wouldn't go this low. I just wanted to rule the land with an undead army, but to sacrifice even your own son, you almost make me feel ashamed to be a villain."

"Count me in too." Caela stepped next to Rin and Gunstringer. "I won't let you get away with this. I made it part of my lifestyle to defend Xbox characters, and I'm not going to let this up."

"Ooooooooo, such loyalty. Hey Nefarious, if you knew stuff like this before, maybe Mercury and that other one wouldn't be scrap metal right now - woah!" Lumine twisted to avoid some incoming Buzz Blades, which was a bit difficult as they could come back a few times like a boomerang. Nefarious turned expecting to see Ratchet, but saw Nick instead. "You, you're defending me?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad about what happened to Noire and Uni. But you're still a Playstation character, and I won't let anyone badmouth them. Besides, can't have you guys showing me up, now can I?" He gave a smile at Caela and Michael, the three of them knowing that defending their consoles in this way was the right way to do it. Madi and Sabre readied themselves. "I knew something wasn't right, and now I'm going to make you pay for what you did."

"I went against the ones who should have been my family, but they were made into my enemies, by you playing with my feelings. You won't play with another life again." Samael cackled again, amused to see such contorted feelings and rage.

Nick cleared his throat. "Just one thing before we fight." He turned to the Dark Champion. "Hey, Champ - "

"Dark Champion."

"Whatever. Look, how's our friend doing? She'd better be all right."

"She's fine. She's resting now, recovering after she got severely drained - "

"Drained?"

"Not forcefully, she was giving us her energy willingly to help our plans. But we're done and she's resting now."

"She was basically a power source to you?"

"No, she wasn't - "

"No, of course she wasn't, she was much more important than that. Why do you think we have someone as powerful as the Sleeping Princess guarding her?"

The outsiders turned in shock to Samael's smug face. "WHAT?! That psycho was left alone with her? Did you not know she hates us with a vengeance?"

"Of course I knew! That's why she's more than welcome to attack her!"

"Wait, what do you say, Samael - "

Samael threw the Dark Champion to the floor. "Look, punk, ever since that girl got here, you've been getting soft. You let that brat get under your skin and now we might be paying the price. That's why the Sleeping Princess will deal with her, to bring you back to your senses, and put you all into despair! But she's not going to do it until you get there so you can see! But I don't know, she looked really mad, last I saw her…"

"How could you do this to Natalie? After everything she did for us?"

"Still with the boy scout act? This risk of emotional weakness is why we froze up your brother in the first place!"

The outsiders' hearts sank as their last hope was crushed. Michael was the first to talk. "You mean…..it _was_ you….the entire time?"

Caela wished that they could still be lying. "So no wonder the 'Eternal' Champion was so insistent on taking her away." Both of them turned to Nick, worried about how he was going to react.

Nick was shaking, unable to control his anger. "Just one more question. The only way we can proceed is through you, right?"

"That is how this works. What, so dependant on cheat codes you forgot how a real level works?"

"No, just checking. But if that's the case…." Nick exploded in glow, turning his arms to equip a pair of fully charged Razor Claws, the glow surrounding him like a fiery battle aura.

" **I'M MAKING THIS FIGHT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!"**

He lunged forward, going for the Dark Champion first, leaving him no choice but to defend himself. The others followed suit, charging forward to realize their anger on their opponents. Madi, Sabre, Gunstringer, and Reimu stayed behind to cover Rin, who was now at a near catatonic state. Samael could only laugh and laugh.

"Yes, this is true entertainment! Let the carnage begin!" Flipping part of his hair out of his face, Samael's pupils became slits, showing off his forked tongue, and taking out a spellcard. "Absolute Chaos: Apocalyptic Flood!" He hissed, fangs also showing now, his true colors being completely revealed.

Several lasers, having a blue, ice-like color filled the area. Wizzro was rather confused. This was a bit evil, even for the twisted wizard such as him. But he liked to fight on the side that won, so it didn't matter much. But, with both Natalie and the Sleeping Princess somewhat weakened, he continued wondering about them, rather than doing anything else.

It wasn't like help was needed right now either, as the ice-blue lasers clouded around everyone, moving slowly, then disappearing as more clusters of them formed. On top of this, Lumine's body began to shift and transform, looking a bit like a heavily equipped and armored angel.

Mega Man began firing at Lumine, attempting to avoid the lasers, only to find that his Mega Buster did nothing. "Your feeble, ancient weapons can't do anything against me." Lumine taunted, prompting the likes of Shulk, Samus, Fox, and Wolf to try and get a scratch on him also.

Nothing worked, making Lumine chuckle again. "As I said, my technology is too advanced. Combined with the fact I am now a CPU for robots, practically a god compared to you, I cannot be harmed." The tips of his wings began to glow, firing four, separate lasers at the ground where his attackers stood.

"Cannot be harmed?" Lumine turned to see a disbelieving Caela. "If you're supposed to be packing the same heat as Mercury, then hate to break it to you, but you can still take damage."

"You're welcome to try, but that is only if you can even touch me!" His lasers concentrated fire on her and Michael, making them duck for cover. "You faced Mercury, right? How did you beat her?"

"Basically, hit her hard. But when I faced her I wasn't alone. Nick helped out. But when I think about it both that time and the previous time he faced her he was fighting for something. To the point where he was basically charged from his emotions and fury."

"OK, that makes a little sense, his temper putting in that extra omph, and he's plenty mad now, but he's attacking someone else now." Michael pointed at Nick who was still slashing at the Dark Champion. Oddly enough, the Dark Champion didn't seem to counterattack, only block and evade. "Let me try something." Caela ran to Nick.

"Hey Nick!" Nick paused as he had the Dark Champion on his back, Razor Claws at his throat. "I know you're steamed and all, but we really need your help in taking out Lumine." Nick didn't talk, he just gave a look that said, "Why should I?". "When Lumine gets beaten, we'll get closer to Natalie. And don't you think it'll be better if Natalie deals with the jerk that's been tricking her all this time?" Nick thought a bit on what she said, before forming a wicked grin. He summoned some chains to quickly tie up the Dark Champion, before turning to Caela. "OK, who needs to become scrap metal again?"

Michael figured turning into Mega Man X would have been the solution considering their opponent, which he did, then began firing the Green Spinner at Lumine, which did a bit of damage. Caela became Axl, firing the Ice Gatling, against him. Finally, Nick became Zero, and tried to use the Enkoujin, a fiery dive attack.

"Ngh, that's a rather nasty surprise, turning into the ones who had defeated me. I should have expected this." Lumine grunted, as their assault was so far the only one capable of leaving a mark on him. "Though be careful, 'Axl', last time I was defeated, I struck you." Caela shuddered at the thought of Lumine trying to take her down with him, and was now a little wary of what she should do in her current form.

As the three of them put effort into taking out Lumine, Samael hissed again, annoyed how he became a great focus. Thankfully, the lasers did their job quite a bit, and there was a short cool down moment, as he unleashed bullets made of ice at those before him. "Traitor Sign: Assassination of Caesar!" He called out, making several, sharp-looking bullets, target everyone.

It was one thing for the bullets to be made up of magic energy, but this was a bit much. Maybe not for Reimu, but considering Samael enjoyed breaking the rules, she was worried. This was something that looked like it was design to do what was on the card: assassinate them.

Some were able to dodge the spikes that targeted them, a few weren't to lucky and got scratched. Samael noticed, and began laughing as he flew around, despite the fact he was being chased around by Morrigan and Pit. Madi started to wince, seeing that a whole circle of spikes were about to pierce their group. Reimu and Sabre had no choice but to get out of the way, and so did Madi.

"Cherry pie— I mean, Rin! Y'all gotta move!" The Gunstringer tried to move the broken down Rin, but her eyes were still empty. He was almost tempted to just take the hit for Rin, which probably wouldn't mean much actually, being that he was already dead.

But that was when she finally lifted her head. A single tear dripped from Rin's right eye, rolling down her cheek, as she pulled a card from the pocket of her dress.

"Wind Sign: Divine Breeze!"

A vast majority of the bullets were blown away, but not much damage was done to Samael himself from the bomb. Noticing her clear out some of his deadly patterns, he looked down at Rin. "What's this now? You finally grew a spine or something?" She didn't answer, as Samael could probably tell what she was thinking by just reading her face. "I see, well since we're through and all, I don't mind giving you one last kiss goodbye…"

He then reached for another spellcard, flicking his tongue at her. "The kiss of a traitor, that is!" Samael cackled, reading it out, to summon both spikes and an icy rain. "Traitor Sign: Judas Kiss!"

Now knowing she wanted real justice more than anything, Rin joined the battle. The others simply watched her start to fire projectile-talisman at the angel, joined by Reimu, who was using homing amulets. On the other side, with Lumine again, he felt himself cornered, but still calm as ever.

"You continue doing damage to me, I'm actually impressed." He murmured, making electrical bolts move past the three of them. Rather than dodging them the way as intended, Nick, Michael, and Caela changed back to their spectral forms. "Any more of this, and I will have to use 'that' particular attack. I'm sure that would be simple enough for you three,

"However, I don't think you can handle it, with Mercury's hardware also inside of me." Every mention of Mercury drove Dr. Nefarious up a wall, like Lumine was constantly taunting him with the fact he lost her. He wanted to hurt Lumine, but knew it wasn't possible, with the state the reploid was in.

The area darkened, and Lumine's eyes flashed. "Paradise Lost!" He shouted. Caela and Nick trembled, knowing that this was Lumine's ridiculously overpowered mode. They had to be fast, and defeat him, otherwise he would wipe out nearly everyone.

"It's no use for any of you." Lumine said, as Nick changed into Zero again, and swung the Z-Saber at him, only for him to swiftly vanish, and appear behind Caela. "I am the God of Robots, the one that generations will bow down to. I will be the sole, remaining CPU—"

"Candidate."

Lumine, Nick, Michael, Caela, and many others turned to see who had entered the icy battlefield.

Sonic was the most baffled out of everyone. "Dr. Eggman!?"


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

 **Paradise Lost**

Dr. Eggman could only smile, as desperate as the situation looked. By his side, were Orbot, Cubot, Metal Sonic, and an unfamiliar robot behind the doctor. "Who are you to interrupt my speech, human? You only have twenty seconds, so make it quick."

"I hate being on a time limit, but fine! The idiot there took only the robot made to imitate the power of CPU candidates, who I see you stole the hardware of."

"Idiot!?" Nefarious yelled.

"The real CPU of robots, is here." Dr. Eggman then stepped to the side. Lumine could only start laughing when he saw it."That tiny thing? You must be—"

Knowing there was a time limit, the small robot lunged at Lumine, its arm becoming a blade, much like Mercury. It packed a punch, and stunned Lumine quite a bit, despite it being a dated model. Nick, Michael, and Caela, while shocked at how sudden that was, were happy to have someone helping out, taking advantage of the situation.

"Her name is Mars, a robot copy of Neptune! Genius, isn't it?" Dr. Eggman boasted, not caring about how dangerous the whole thing was. "I hid her away, for the same reasons as Mercury. Too strong for her own good! Thankfully, you never found her."

"Why you…!" Dr. Nefarious wanted to strangle the fat doctor, but Scervo stopped him, as Eggman was pretty much helping them out against Lumine.

"Let's just say, Mars is going to be extra upset knowing her 'little sister' was killed, and hardware torn out by this cretin. She'll be annoyed at you too, for taking her away." As he said that, Mars began to shift her parts, matching Next Purple rather than Neptune's regular HDD form. But only to an extent, as she notably looked… rather demonic, for a robot.

Demonic in the sense that she wore black and red, had mechanical wings with jets in them, claws made of needles on her other arm. Other than that, still a jacked-up robot. One that made Lumine actually shiver in fear.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." Nick turned to Eggman. "You're telling me that the one who nearly destroyed Lastation and fought with us to a near standstill was only the runner-up?" Dr. Eggman smirked as Lumine gave out a cry behind the outsiders. They turned to see that Mars left a few scratches on Lumine, who was now starting to take his opponent seriously. "Huh, so, attack the angel?"

"Attack the angel." Michael and Caela said in unison as they ran to the other side of the room, just as Mars delivered a punch that dented Lumine's arm a little. They ran to where Reimu's group was, where Reimu and Gunstringer were doing cover fire while Rin was healing those hit by Samael's attacks.

"That's right! Set them back up so I can knock them down again! It's like a bowling tournament."

Nick equipped the Golden Fleece. "Except the pins don't hit back."

"Ha! Ha ha haaaaaaa! Do you fools even realize that you are just gambling away your lives?"

Caela's head seemed to slightly turned before answering. "Maybe, but you don't gamble as much in bowling as you do in pool."

"What are you - "

 **BLAM!**

Samael fell down a little after getting hit in the back. As he stumbled to recover, El Diablo readied his next shot. "Now, that little 'pool' comment wasn't said at the expense of my eyes, now, was it?"

"Ohhh, so you actually survived, El Diablo? I nearly forgot. Was hoping you were tossed aside, like your wife was." El Diablo snarled when Samael said that, the angel simply kept laughing. "Not like you're stopping me. I got one of these bad-boys left."

He didn't even let anyone get a breather once the "Judas Kiss" spell was done with. One spell-card was left for him to use, and Samael was going to use the most intense one for last. "Mark of Samael: Forbidden Fruit!"

Several cross-shaped bullets began raining down on everyone, difficult to avoid due to their shape. Lasers resembling a snake zipped by every now and then, making it even harder. "This is the last spell I have, I'll be amazed if you can live after this… I'll be sitting here, waiting!" Turning his back on the chaos, as no one could really reach him, Samael took an apple out of his pocket, and began to snack in the middle of the battle.

Reimu attempted to use another bomb, to try and make this go by faster without risking anyone. However, to avoid taking much damage, Samael dropped what he was doing, and transformed.

There, flying around before them, was some sort of small serpent with wings. "How fitting for ya ta be a literal snake in the grass." The Gunstringer tried to shoot at the scaly angel, who managed to avoid the shots, changing back to his original form.

"Well, there are lots of things of me you may or may not know of. But it's not like any of you will learn either, once you're dead."Samael then glanced at Wizzro. "Hey, I'm on my last leg here, and Lumine is having difficulties! Do something to help out!"

Good enough excuse to keep Wizzro occupied, he found it rather amusing that Samael excluded the Dark Champion. Besides, there was one particularly green character he wanted to get back at.

Not Link, Toon Link, nor Young Link. But Stubbs, for what he had done before. "I see you're limited with that piece of paper on your face, kehehe! This will make things much easier!" Wizzro then began targeting the zombie first with his magic, which initiated nearly all of the present Zelda characters— besides Scervo— to go after Wizzro.

The spellcard lasted a long time, and many were being constantly healed. Samael was running out of stamina to keep himself in the air too, since many were firing at him. "This is lame, I'm out of juice up here, so… I think I'll take you all on from the ground, and freeze you instead!" Changing into a snake again, Samael flew to the icy floor, and slithered around, trying to sneak up on someone.

Nick was able to catch on to his position, and turned into Cole, hitting him with ice attacks. Michael saw what he was doing, and joined in by turning into a Dewgong and hitting him with Ice Beam. "Yi, yi, yi! What the heck are you doing to me?!"

"Simple science. If I recall, snakes don't like the cold."

Samael looked dumbfounded for a moment before realizing he was slithering on pure ice. "I don't mind the cold considering where we are, I even use ice attacks! You surprised me though… I'll just have to destroy you with my bare hands!" Samael changed back to his normal form and took a fighting stance, looking pretty confident, until Caela assumed Kasumi's form and kicked him in the face. "Ow! Ow ow ow! Watch it!" But he would end up watching it, as he saw Nick and Michael turn into Heihachi and Ryu, and surround him. It was that moment that he realized just how small he was, unable to counter it from how quick they were.

"Wait." The three of them turned to see Rin standing with Madi and Sabre. "He's ours."

"Rin? What do you mean…...oh wait, you mean you're rescuing me, right?" Putting on a cute, innocent face, Samael whimpered. "Oh, that makes me happy. You know, you were the one I truly cared for. You know what I said was just an act, right?"

"Shut up." Samael was almost offended at the tone Rin was giving him. "I am not your puppet anymore. When I said you're ours, we're not rescuing you, we're beating you up ourselves." Samael tried to back away, but was quickly snagged by Madi's Swordling. Being dragged away,

Sabre turned to the outsiders. "You might want to look away from this." Knowing the effects of payback, the outsiders turned away and walked off, just in time to see Lumine's battered and broken body flung at their feet, Mars right behind them.

Nick knelt down at his head. "You know, what Mercury did was wrong, but it was Nefarious who told her to do it, and she was a respectable foe in battle. What you did not only disrespected her, but those she fought as well. She didn't deserve to die like that."

Lumine only laughed. "Look at you, trying to act all high and mighty. If she only worked with us instead of that bucket of bolts, maybe I wouldn't have done that. But we needed her power, so I got it. What are you going to do about it?"

Nick turned to Caela and Michael. "Hold him." They turned into Marcus Fenix and Bowser, each grabbing an arm and a leg.

"W-what are you doing?!"

Nick turned his arm into Big Daddy's drill. "That hardware you have doesn't belong to you. It's time to return it." The following sounds were the drill cutting open Lumine's chestplate and Lumine screaming. Using Kratos's strength, Nick bent open the metal revealing all the circuitry inside. "In there should be what belonged to your sister. Feel free to take it back."

"You don't mean - " Mars reached in and grabbed some precise parts and ripped them out, Leaving Lumine in a panicked state. "No no no no nooooooooo! You… fools! Mercury's power was a bit much for me so I had some adjustments made to handle it better. With the hardware removed…." He started shaking as everyone nearby knew it was their cue to run. As they got to a safe distance, all Lumine could say was "Curse you… curse you… curse you, outsiderrrrrrrrrrrsssssssss - "

 **BOOM!**

Scrap metal flew everywhere as the announcement of Lumine's defeat. With three down, they now started to look for where Wizzro was.

Wizzro's magic was making those already hit by the lasers, and trying to recover, more anxious. He wasn't even given a share of New Game Plus energy or anything, it was just all overwhelming, and it was impossible for anyone to get close to him.

Except for Ganondorf, that was. He had a feeling there was a way to turn around the pawn that didn't belong, and that was clearly Wizzro. In a modern, rather mainstream title, not someone discarded or forgotten about. Not to mention, he was a twisted wizard, who was capable of luring victims, stealing their souls.

Following power blindly, which lead to betrayal, Ganondorf smiled, knowing how easy this was. He just made his way over, ignoring the serpent-creatures that tried to attack his allies. "Wizzro," he bellowed, "what are you trying to accomplish?"

"Oh, nothing really! I just like a bit of destruction, and to enjoy my freedom!" He cackled, not threatened in the slightest by Ganondorf, even if he had manipulated Cia, and Wizzro once tried to flip over to his side.

"Yes, enjoy your freedom while it lasts."

"Huh?"

"Face the truth, Wizzro. You were just released because the Sleeping Princess found you convenient."

"Doesn't everybody?"

"Perhaps," Ganondorf continued, "but she will probably no longer have use of someone 'popular', and seal you once again."

Wizzro wanted to object to the fact Samael had been rather friendly to him, but he also backstabbed the Dark Champion, and didn't think too highly of anyone under his façade. On top of that, Lumine was finished with, and the Dark Champion… well, Wizzro certainly didn't know what to think of him.

"You don't want to be betrayed, because that's something you're good at doing. You should prove you're more useful than some of them, strike some fear, and become a new head in their forces, not just some underling." Ganondorf suggested.

It was obvious this would get Wizzro in a grave amount of trouble, but he thought it over more. The Sleeping Princess was probably still weak, and so was Natalie. He could rid of them both, then possibly Samael, and appoint himself over the Dark Champion.

… He knew that wasn't possible. But those first two steps were promising. "This is obviously you trying to flip things in your favor, but I do like the sound of it." Wizzro snickered, summoning a bunch of other serpents, before vanishing out of sight.

Ganondorf hoped, as weird as it was for the King of Evil, that Wizzro would pretty much save Natalie, and not take away her soul.

"H-he got away!?" Corrin stammered.

"Ganondorf, why did you let him flee!?" Zelda yelled.

"If we walk in to where Natalie is, it will be a trap. That angel revealed such." Ganondorf then turned to the tied up Dark Champion. "While we wait for whatever I just risked, we should take our time to question this one. He seems to be willing to speak, now that his spirits are completely gone."

—

"They're taking too long," the Sleeping Princess mumbled, "I may have to just deal with this myself, even if it is against what I was told." She started to get up, recovering rather fast from being attacked before. The same couldn't be said for Natalie.

"You're going out there?"

"No."

Natalie sighed in relief, thankful that the Sleeping Princess wasn't going to risk her life. Instead though, the Sleeping Princess started to giggle, holding up her staff. Natalie didn't understand, because she looked ready to attack someone, but who?

"You outsiders are a real thorn in my side. I've ran out of patience, so I—"

A dark ball of energy struck the Sleeping Princess, taking her by complete surprise. An evil laugh came from the one responsible; Wizzro, who was floating over them both. "You won't do a thing, now that you're dead!" Wizzro kept laughing, poking the Sleeping Princess's body, which didn't move. "I just did you a favor, you realize? She was going to murder you! How funny is that?"

"W…what?" Natalie stuttered.

"Buuut that doesn't mean you're—"

"Cosmic Ray!"

Wizzro jumped as the magic spell from the Sleeping Princess was called out, and it made contact with his body, flinging him to a wall. "I knew I should have sealed you back away sooner, useless ring. You dare defy the one who freed you?"

The Sleeping Princess's voice sounded more… masculine than usual, which took Wizzro by surprise. "Huh? I thought you were dead, then again, you're always sleeping and look like there's not much life in you. Also, your voice, makes me wonder— ack!" He was attacked again by the Sleeping Princess, who was trying to seal Wizzro back.

"Useless wizard, this will be your demise!"

"I'm just here to take your power and soul, so I can run freely!"

Natalie began to hold her head in frustration, she had to help one of them. The Sleeping Princess was going to kill her, but Wizzro's intentions probably weren't exactly selfless either. She wanted the Dark Champion, Lumine, or Samael to help her. Yelling for help was tempting, but would probably not do much of anything. Gathering whatever strength she had, Natalie was too weak to run, but had a burst of energy that could help knock one down.

But who would take the fall?

She grabbed the vase made of ice— which had frozen flower in it, a gift from Samael, as bizarre as it was— and carefully stepped out of the bed, not wanting to be noticed.

Natalie raised it over her head. Without yelling, or making her presence known again ahead of time, she promptly broke the icy vase over one of them. That unlucky person, being the Sleeping Princess, who promptly fell to the floor, allowing Wizzro to break free from her spells.

Wizzro cackled, not caring at much for Natalie being there as he began taking whatever power and essence the Sleeping Princess had. "Yes, yes! That's— huh? She has no soul connected to her body?" The twisted wizard drew back, some fragments of New Game Plus energy now inside him, along with great magic, but the body seemed actually dead this time.

Panicking, Natalie gasped. "D-did I kill her?… Or did you—"

"Not me, I mean, I intended to and all!" Wizzro objected.

"W-we need to tell the others!"

Unamused, Wizzro pushed her back onto the bed. "Heh, not for nothing, they're all finished. Lumine had his hardware ripped out, Samael got beaten to a pulp— though, he'll probably slither out— the Dark Champion is 'tied up' at the moment. I retreated, for a handful of reasons." But now, Wizzro wasn't sure what to do now. He could off Natalie, and make a bunch of enemies just for getting more power and a soul in his body. But, she did kind of help him just then, the wizard was curious now. "Why exactly did you attack the Sleeping Princess, but not me?"

"She was going to kill me, you said. I could even tell for a split moment that she would." Natalie murmured, holding her arm and feeling exhausted from just breaking a vase on someone's skull. "And if you were after me too, you would have done it by now, right?"

"Heeheehee! An interesting take on what had occurred." Wizzro picked up the Sleeping Princess's staff, then snapped it in half, so it could not be used. "Time is running out, I suppose, and everyone is cornered, yes? I shall be the one then to send you back to your world, now that the Dark Champion is unavailable. You may not be in the best condition, but better sooner than never."

"This sounds like a trick, out of everyone here, I don't know if I can—"

"Oooh, that idea didn't cross my mind, backstabbing you while sending you home!"

… This lunatic was something else. Natalie almost couldn't help but find him funny. Yes, she didn't entirely trust him, especially after what had just happened, but maybe he just liked to joke around, and acted for his own gains.

—

Arle, Sir Daniel, Conker, Sweet Tooth, Mr. Grimm, and Reimu couldn't believe their eyes. "Yup, there's everyone, all frozen." El Diablo pointed out to the frozen statues in a separate room within the central. Xavier Pendragon was silent, seeing the Eternal Champion standing there, mortified at his own fate.

"We gotta get Gregg out of there." Conker said.

"And Mr. Death." Sir Daniel agreed.

"Yukari…" Reimu mumbled.

"I shouldn't have left for so long! I could have tried to save everyone!"

"Angel, there was no helping this madness— ugh, I almost don't wanna call you that anymore, after that guy." Sweet Tooth groaned.

"How is Samael anyway?" Lucina asked.

"Madi, Sabre, and Rin are finished beating him down. He doesn't seem bothered by it, they're just waiting for his two 'friends' to show up." Sly answered, leaning against one of the freezing walls. "Also, he tried to flirt with Morrigan."

After a brief period of time, the other two angels from earlier showed up. Gabriel now had a bandage over his left eye, due to the battle that happened. "Sam… Uriel always told me something was up. I'm not going to waste words." Gabriel murmured, taking out his trumpet.

"There was a reason I always left the room when you played that stupid instrument."

"Because you didn't want your truth exposed?" Uriel questioned, glaring at him.

"No," Samael grinned, "because none of you will be able to handle it."

Despite the warning, Gabriel started playing his trumpet. His right eye widened, as various horrors of Samael's sins came to him. One in particular, which stuck out the most. He kept going, if only to see what else was left.

When it was over, Gabriel stared at him blankly. "You… used that girl over there, after pulling her out of the dark along with others, using her affections for your own gains… you sent some other traitors to get killed again, to enrage a devil… you sent Sariel and Konngara, driven by hatred, to help a deity… you caused a wizard to be exiled… You laid with the first succubus, had Sariel with her, hiding the truth for so long. You stole the hearts and purities of several women! You make cultists worship you, only to drop them all into Makai. You plot against Makai's god!"

This was new information that was coming out, much to the shock of many. "You… you were the one that lead to us archangels, to be exiled to Makai!? You said that the information was good for us! We could have remained in the heavens, Samael, why!?" Gabriel was on the verge of tears, painful ones, at that.

"Yes, information and knowledge is good, it certainly helped the Lord of Games and his wife, didn't it?"

Everyone, except Nick, Michael, and Caela all went silent, as if they had just died on the inside a little bit more.

"How… long have you been around?" Rosalina questioned.

"Before Gamindustri was even completely formed. The Deity of Sin and her followers had a hand which lead to them opposing. Because face it, Gamindustri was going to get boring without any conflict. Why else would I send Sariel to help LOG? I knew him, of course!"

"Just when I was going to reveal that too." Gabriel muttered to himself.

"This is all funny to me," Reimu stated, "because your power level is nothing more than a 'fifth stage boss'. You're only good at tricking others and starting things, huh?"

"You could say that, I won't disagree with you, murderer." Samael chuckled, as Reimu tried to control her anger over that last word. "But say, you know what? A majority of those 'fifth stager bosses' have something in common. I forgot I was one of them." Sabre was holding up Samael, and only now just saw the angel hold up an extra spellcard, tucked beneath the folds of his torn dress.

Sabre tried to wrestle the card away from him, only for Samael to use that chance to tear the talisman off his own face, then transformed into a snake again. Sliding away from Sabre's grip, making everyone else jump into a panicked state, Samael laughed at them all upon changing back to normal.

"Fifth stage bosses like to come back at the finale, for one last try!" Samael cackled, more maniacally than usual. "Lowest Circle: Iced Inferno!" He shouted, before flying away to where the machine was, leaving behind a barrage of icy bullets and lasers.

Desperate times, called for desperate measures. Difference between Samael and everyone else, was that he was the one going through desperate measures.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

 **Desperation**

The ice, was very annoying. It was also ineffective as there were a lot of fire-users in various teams. But it gave enough time for Samael to get away. Nick just about had it and walked over to the Dark Champion. "OK, 'Champ', you have a lot of explaining to do."

The Dark Champion was just delirious, out of it due to the impending threat to Natalie. "I…..I never wanted…."

"Wanted what, exactly?"

"I didn't want her to get hurt. I really didn't."

"Tough to believe that, seeing how you tricked her."

"That was before I knew how strong of a heart she had for characters like us. It made me realize my faults. And now, because of me….."

SMACK!

"If you started to respect her, then you should know she's tougher than that!"

"But when I left her, she was severely drained, with barely enough energy to stand."

"She'll get some more out of nowhere. She never ran out of juice whenever she would reprimand us."

"But….but I…"

"Look, as much as I want to see her chew you out, you look like you want to be put out of your misery now. So, I'll give you two choices: Get locked in a room with one of them," he pointed at the likes of Sweet Tooth, Bowser, Gunstringer, and others, "Or be a man and admit your faults to the one you wronged."

The Dark Champion, knowing nothing but defeat, got up. "I…...shall let Natalie decide my fate."

"Good. Then let's get going. You should know a shortcut or two, right?" The Dark Champion turned and led everyone down the quickest route he knew to the hideout, where the machine, Samael, and Natalie would be.

Wizzro was at the machine, trying to find the on button, when Samael flew in the door. "Oh, this is an unexpected surprise. I expected you to be mulch by now."

"Never mind that, what are you doing?"

"Turning on the portal so Natalie can go home."

"You're going to do that? And where is the Sleeping Princess?"

"I can answer both at once. The Sleeping Princess tried to destroy me, Natalie saved me, so I'm returning the favor just so I don't have to be in her debt."

"She still had enough strength to move? Impressive. I severely underestimated that tool."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Anyhoo, the coordinates should be all set for their homeworld. Just need to pull this switch."

"Wait." Wizzro grabbed Samael's hand.

"What is it now?"

"The way that these coordinates are entered, I've never seen such a style before."

"Maybe because we are going to a whole other dimension and we need to think a little weird for it to make sense?"

"But this almost looks like a ritual of sorts."

"Contacting other worlds was thought of as magic, so of course it would look like that!"

"You didn't have to say it so harshly."

"Do you want that girl out of your hair or not?"

"OK, OK, just wanted a simple question answered."

Samael pulled down on the lever, bringing the machine to life. The humming started to get louder and louder, as a red, swirling vortex started to form and get bigger and bigger. And Wizzro started to feel nothing but the creeps. "What is this?"

"What is what?"

"Don't play dumb with me! I can feel the dark forces coming out! What did you just unleash?"

"Well, it can't be stopped now, so I'll tell. The coordinates for the girl's world are there, but what fun would it be visiting without a friend?"

"Friend?"

"The Sleeping Princess's true face!"

"What?!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a hand coming out. And another. And another. Until there were four arms, attached to a body that seemed to have a hole in it and tentacles out of his back. His head had multiple eyes across his forehead and huge flaps at the sides, almost looking like dog ears.

"Phantom God! So glad you could join us!" Samael suddenly went in a happy mode while the Phantom God wasn't in a good mood.

"Where is that brat?" The being spoke in a gentle voice, but seemed rather irritated.

"Right this way, and the others are on their way as well, just in time for you to kill her!"

"Kill her? What are you - unh!"

The Phantom God swung his hand at Wizzro, flinging him to the wall and knocking him out. "Nothing will stop my revenge."

Somehow managing to connect to the Sleeping Princess's body again the Phantom God pulled it from the room Natalie was in. Clutching onto the soulless sorceress, the Phantom God then looked at Wizzro. "I was trying to save that negative energy, but he had stolen it from the vessel I was using… Samael, where is—"

"That other guy? He's hanging around, waiting for the right moment to show up. Which is probably going to be soon. Just cut to the chase, so you can kill her!"

Samael led the way to where Natalie was, Phantom God behind him. Natalie, still tired from knocking the Sleeping Princess, just got enough energy to sit up. But when she looked up, she saw an individual that sparked some concern in her memory. "The Phantom God? Wha-what is he doing here? Is he another part of your group?"

"Nooooooooot exactly, cutie, he was part of our group all along. You are familiar with his puppet that just tried to kill you, yes?"

"Puppet? Kill me? You mean…...the Princess…...what's going on?"

"What going on is that you were played!"

Natalie turned to see Nick and the Dark Champion walking in at the end of the room, Caela and Michael in tow, with an army of characters behind them. Her eyes lit up for a second, but then she realized what Nick said. "How many times do I have to tell you - "

"He's speaking the truth!" Natalie was shocked to the Dark Champion confirm his words. "I was masquerading as my brother all along, to bring you to our side! But I now realize the effects of what I've done, and have come to help rescue you!"

"That's why I'm here. That's why we're all here!" Natalie got a better look behind Nick, seeing a mix of characters of Playstation, Nintendo, Xbox, even SEGA all gathered. She never saw all of them with such a sense of unity. And what was surprising most of all was the look in her fellow outsiders' eyes. They all shone with the same light, and event that has not happened for a long time. Natalie began to wonder what happened, and if they really were working together.

"You arrived too late." Reminded of the Phantom God, everyone turned to him. "OK, what is that?"

"The one that the Sleeping Princess was playing host to, and the one that'll kill you all!" Some actually started to aim for Samael out of reflex and annoyance, but were blocked by a variety of powerful attacks. Natalie tried to get up to help, but was still too weak and fell to the floor. The Phantom God did an amused smirk. "How fitting for a bug to die squished on the floor. But first, _Phantom Wall_!"

A barrier went up that separated the characters from the outsiders and the Dark Champion. They tried to break it down, but it was able to change color at a rapid pace to block specific blasts. "Ha ha haaaa! The energy of the New Game Plus as increased my powers at least tenfold! And now I can exterminate the pests and the traitor with all of you watching!"

"Don't think so!" Nick said already changing. "Too slow! _Arc Prominence!_ " An intense amount of fire came roaring at Natalie, who was unable to dodge. When the impact hit, there was an intense light that filled up the room, blinding everybody. When everyone's sight returned, they saw a most surprising sight. "Too slow? Don't you feel silly?"

Sonic was in front of Natalie, who escaped unharmed, but Sonic was covered in burns, it looked like he would fall at any moment. "No! But how?! You should be - !" The Phantom God turned and was confused as everyone to see a second Sonic behind the barrier. Turning back to the first Sonic, he saw him turn to Natalie and chuckle. "Heh, heh, heh. I thought you were supposed to know everything about SEGA…...Squirt."

Natalie, Caela, and Michael were all shocked at what "Sonic" said, turning to see that Nick was no longer where he last was. Turning back to normal while falling, Nick just continue to softly laugh. "Did you honestly forget…..that for a while…..Sonic was…..multi-console?" He landed on his stomach, baring the same wounds he got when he was Sonic. Natalie crawled towards him and flipped him over, desperate to find any signs of life.

"Come on, come on, still be alive….."

"You know…..it's funny….."

"Don't talk, save your strength."

"But it's funny…."

"What?!"

"Even though there's more syllables…..it's easier to say….."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Natalie…." Natalie felt her eyes widen. "Even though it's got more syllables…..Natalie was always easier…..to say than….Squirt…."

Nick's eyes closed, his head rolling to one side, still showing the carefree smile he was known for. Natalie's eyes burst into tears. There was still a pulse, but it was obvious that unless something was done now, he was done for.

Michael and Caela felt a rage in them that they had never known before. Acting on instinct, their hand grabbed the other, and pointed it at the barrier as their glows combined.

" **COMBINED SHOT!"**

They shot a massive amount of energy, shattering the barrier like it was thin glass. Before anyone could say anything, they started talking.

"Do you see this? What just happened does nothing but prove what it means to be in a game!"

"It shouldn't matter what console or platform you're on, as long as you leave an impression!"

"For years, you've done nothing but serve as stories and inspirations for everyone who's played as you, always giving them a smile!"

"And now these people want to take that all away, take away what has been cherished for decades!"

"We can't let that happen!"

"We can't let go of what's important, what's at the heart of gaming!"

"You are the characters!"

"You are the heroes!"

They both took a deep breath before shouting in unison:

" _ **YOU ARE THE THE LEGENDS THAT WILL NEVER DIE!"**_

Everyone, every character present, old and new, began to feel a strength they had not felt in years. The same thing they felt when they first started in their games. A feeling of purpose, of determination. A feeling of hope. Their spirits soaring like never before, they got into the ultimate game mode, ready to put everything on the line. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

"Let's go, for Nick!"

"For Bleu!"

" **FOR GAMINDUSTRIIIIIIIIIIII!"**

Everyone joined in the final cry as they all charged forward, ready to take down the Phantom God and Samael once and for all.

Despite the circumstances, the Phantom God just smirked, Arle staring up at him. "Why… why are you back!? You were a guardian of a treasure, in that tower. I defeated you! And took the jewel of your essence!"

Samael cackled in response. "You took whatever remaining purity, guardian-like qualities the Phantom God had left. His dark hatred remained, while being spirited away into the sands of Gamindustri… do you want to know who was responsible for bringing the group together?"

"It was him." The Dark Champion answered, looked down at the floor. "Phantom God's dark essence, evolved into becoming a god of the forgotten ones. Those who were left behind, began to fuel his power. This, combined with the New Game Plus…"

"On such a subject," the Phantom God looked at P-Man, "your existence is one that interests me, Polygon Man. When your new body was made, with the data that remained… As the Sleeping Princess, I was able to collect negative energy from who you used to be."

"Who I…?" P-Man trembled, watching the Phantom God wave his four arms, creating a near perfect copy of him. Giving off a more dark purple feeling, rather than a mix of purple and blue.

"Power is an illusion," the copy spoke, "absolute power, is a seamless illusion!"

"N-no, I thought that—"

"P-Man? What's going on!?" Madi asked, pointing her Swordling at the clone.

Holding his head, P-Man tried to look away from the copy, the memories he wanted to wipe away were returning, each time the clone spoke. "You only prolong the inevitable."

"Stop, please!" P-Man whimpered, losing whatever confidence he had.

"Man, how pathetic." Cole and Fat Princess felt their attention snap to a familiar voice, standing next to Samael. "You used to be a real threat, for someone made of the same material as I was. I even jogged in that stupid head of yours a couple of years ago. But now?"

Evil Cole MacGrath, with red electricity flowing through his body. "I kicked you into the gates of—"

"Yeah, you did!" Evil Cole interrupted Scorpion, not caring for what he had to say. "But the Phantom God recognized my power, finding it familiar, so he and his buddies gave me a second chance to become the only Cole that needs to exist."

Mr. Grimm remembered that Evil Cole and his previous group were the reason why he was now stuck with a voice in his head. One that was speaking up right now too. "He couldn't just give up? To go from anti-hero that fought for us, to outright villain."

"Let's not bring up anything of the past, I think it's doing more harm than good." Mr. Grimm replied.

Samael was quick, unlike before, where others could take advantage of how small he was, he knew that he didn't have any spellcards left. Kameo got close, only to be hit by a blast of ice, and then Bowser was kicked away. Bayonetta had her sights on killing the angel more than anyone else there, and she knew how to do it best as well, but it would be hard to with how many were infuriated with Samael, wanting to get him first.

"You know, Aensland…" Samael hissed, as Morrigan readied herself to attack him. "My failed attempt at trying to hit on you aside, you really do remind me of my first flame. A succubus, like you were. Was more angelic at the time though. What was her name?"

Morrigan winced, placing one of her hands over the ring on her finger. "Lilith, I think Jedah named your other half after her. Funny, because the two of you bear great resemblance to her. It's as if you were her… brought to a new life—"

"You spout nonsense in trying to win me over."

"You're a powerful, beautiful succubus. I'm a strong, cute angel."

"I'm not a complete monster. The overlord of Makai should have killed you sooner."

"I wouldn't treat you like a tool, like Rin actually was, because I know you're perfect!" Morrigan became uneasy at his words. She didn't mind guys flirting with her, and usually played along, or started it to begin with so she could have her fill. But Samael was so off-putting, especially with his appearance. "I don't even want the Aensland throne, we could both be entertained, out of Makai, and mess with everyone in the world! You're a real prize, unlike—"

"Y'all better shut yer trap!" The Gunstringer snapped, firing at Samael, who had his guard down at the worst time. El Diablo watched, rather amused at the Gunstringer's outburst as he went all out on the angel, and even joined in.

Samael instantly recovered, flapping his wings to shake off the bullets that were lodged into him. "Pellets of lead aren't going to do much against me, cowboy. Do you want to see how I froze people like the Eternal Champion?" He snickered, pointing his fingers at whoever was standing before him. Captain Smiley, Frank West, and Sho were caught in an icy blast, which the Gunstringer and El Diablo were able to narrowly avoid.

Much like those they had seen in one of the hidden halls, the three of them were now frozen statues. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that, since it's far more funny to see everyone squirm around in the chaos. You're all going to get in the Phantom God's way though, can't let that happen now, can I?"

P-Man was shaking. Cole wasn't able to help him right now, since he was going against his evil counterpart, with the help of many others. Madi was trying her hardest— along with Raiden and Solid Snake— to restore whatever spirits he normally had. "I can't… he's me, that's who I used to be. I don't know what to do."

"What are you talking about? You let go of the past, and fight him!" Madi replied.

"N-no, what if, he somehow gets to me? Tries to make me who I once was? Or kills me for good? He's stronger than I, and…"

His paranoia was ridiculous, and yet, it was an understandable fear perhaps. So far, the clone of P-Man could imitate the abilities of his opponents, and create clones. Every now and then, he transformed into a stage hazard as well, much like how he used to be. It frightened P-Man, that all of that power, was being used for evil. Power that he used to have.

"No, he's not stronger than you." Dart finally said, this being the first time he had properly spoken to the incarnation of P-Man that was there. "That there is the coward that controlled me. For years, I projected my grudge onto you as a whole, but—"

"That was me who did that, I understand your hatred for me." P-Man interrupted. "I don't deserve you trying to forgive my past."

"Well, I do now anyway, regardless of what you think of yourself." Dart continued, pointing his sword at the negative copy. "Because you wouldn't do something like that, from what everyone else has told me. You're a completely different person almost, unlike the villain standing right there, who likes to make everyone his servant! Right now, I can even tell, you aren't the manipulator that I fell victim to."

"The real you and the malicious you were always two different halves in a way." Raiden agreed. "The best way to get rid of your past self, is to face it without any fear of what happens next! We'll all be able to pull you out of it if you fall to your counterpart's fury, like we had all done at one point in time!"

There was nothing to be afraid of, when many were backing him up. The one trying to cause trouble for everyone, was not him.

P-Man kept thinking this as he stood up. He couldn't let this get to him, not when everyone had come so far. Cowering would probably only cause the negative half to take over more easily. "Madi," P-Man spoke, confidence returning in his voice, "in the same way I helped you, I want you to help me right now. We're all going to face him, and I want you to put my guilt to a rest!"

Madi hesitated, greatly confused from how P-Man was acting, but they nodded slowly. For the advice he had given, to pull her out of the views of bitter revenge over being forgotten and left behind in the world, Madi wanted to return the favor.

Meanwhile, Caela and Michael were leading the charge against the Phantom God, and leading it hard. Following up on their Combined Shot, they utilized methods that combined their weapons and powers to their fullest potential, enhancing them with their energy. All the other characters followed their lead in to the most fantastic results.

Sir Dan used his Dragon Potion fire to light up Pit's arrows. Marcus Fenix and Sweet Tooth did combo slashes with their chainsaws. Diddy Kong, Banjo, Kazooie, and Conker let loose with their guns and eggs for old times sake. Ness was able to channel Madotsuki's nightmare's through his PSI powers, transmitting them towards Phantom God. Sonic used his speed to deliver Sly's alarm clocks right up to him. Arle even worked with Pupuru, combining the energies of their spells for greater effect. Voodoo Vince, however, had a weirder approach. He tried linking himself to Phantom God, while allowing Amigo to use him like a maraca, in an effort to make him sick.

The Phantom God did get a headache, but it was unclear if it was from Vince or the annoying pests before him. "Annoying cretins! If that is the way you want it, I shall make your ends slow and painful!"

He concentrated, and started to change into his stronger form. His blue skin started to turn orange, the hole in his chest started to grow bigger and pulsate with energy, but what was most disturbing of all, was the change to his face. It changed to look like someone peeled off all of his skin, revealing the muscles underneath, and leaving him with a permanent sneer. "With this, my powers have increased yet again! _Crimson Nova!_ "

Everyone jumped back from a sudden wave of rocks and earth. Michael tried to figure out what they could do to counteract it while Caela gave a brief glimpse at Natalie and Nick, wishing they were in better shape, because this was a fight they needed everyone in.

The Dark Champion didn't move since the battle started. He just stared at Natalie, crying while holding Nick's barely-alive body, filled with nothing but remorse. He was trying to figure out what to do when he remembered something important. Kneeling down to Natalie, he reached into a secret pocket. "Natalie - "

SMACK!

The Dark Champion was almost knocked over by Natalie, who used Alex Kidd's arm to slap him. "What do you want?! Haven't you done enough?!"

The Dark Champion's guilt was increased, but he knew her words were justified. "Please, I may have a way that can save him!" Pulling out a canister, he handed it to Natalie. "Understandably, with the kind of people that were in the group, I wasn't fully trusting, so I hid some of the New Game Plus energy for myself. If you can manipulate it right with your powers, there's chance you can heal him!"

Natalie was hesitant. She wanted to help Nick, but it was tough for her to trust anybody right now. But she recalled how Nick and the Dark Champion walked in side by side, with Nick not giving any suspicious looks. He looked like he trusted him, and so she decided to trust in her friend. Holding her hand out, she readied for the Dark Champion to open the canister. He opened it, letting the energy out, which Natalie attracted to her hand.

Trying to maintain to the energy proved almost too much, but she wasn't going to give up, not after what Nick did. With a mighty roar of determination, she plunged her hand with the energy to Nick's chest, right at his heart. A bright glow encompassed the two, with Natalie still yelling with all her spirit. When she did what she could, a familiar voice called out before the glow subsided.

"HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, GAMINDUSTRI! I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"

Natalie just looked at him. "HOW ARE YOU ACTING SO COOL?! YOU ALMOST DIED! YET YOU STAND UP LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED!"

"Sorry. I was still a little aware of what was going on around me, so I got caught up in the moment."

"You were still - then why didn't you say something?!"

"I didn't have the strength to. Anyways, what's going - OHMYGODWHATTHEHELLISTHAT!"

"The Phantom God's second form."

"His what? OK, that's just freaky! Who the heck comes up with stuff like that?"

"Japan."

"Touche."

Calming down a bit, Nick held out his hand. "Games are much better if you play them with friends, aren't they?" Natalie grabbed his hand, using it to get herself up. "Yeah, they are."

"What?" The Phantom God looked at where the two of them were. "How are you still alive?" Everyone turned to where he was looking, Caela and Michael almost bursting to tears at Nick's recovery. "This is why my hatred burns for you the most outsiders, why you refuse to die like a miserable cockroach!"

"Hey." Nick stepped forward. "It's getting really annoying lately. Outsider this, outsider that. That's not what we really are, if you think about it."

"Then what are you, other than those that do not belong and have no right to interfere?"

"The answer to that is pure and simple: we're not outsiders, we're gamers. We are as much a part of this world as you are, and have all the right to defend the games we love."

He turned into Aphelion, all ready for takeoff. Natalie followed his lead by turning into Knuckles and jumping on the front of the ship. Before anyone could even think of a question, "Aphelion" shot forward, straight at the Phantom God, the speed enhancing the power of "Knuckles's" punch. Before he could react, the Phantom God was hit by one of the most powerful blows he ever felt, knocking him back several feet. Changing back, Nick and Natalie landed next to Michael and Caela.

"Oh yeah, it's game time!"

As the battle continued, Phantom God using the Photon Smasher spell to try and ward everyone away, others were struggling. If it wasn't the copy of P-Man and Evil Cole giving some a hard time, then Samael was freezing those in his way. Someone had to take him out, but it was risky, as they could be frozen as well in the process.

The only one Samael had spared from his icy fury, was Morrigan so far, and for rather obvious reasons. Spamming her Soul Fist attack could only do so much however. It wasn't like Samael wasn't used to attacks from fellow Makai residents either. They hurt, but it wasn't as if it was deadly.

Dr. Nefarious felt he had to assist in at least fighting against Evil Cole. Mainly to return the favor to everyone, for exposing Lumine and returning Mercury's hardware. Scervo was in the same boat, while Mars and Metal Sonic focused on the negative copy of P-Man. Many supers were used to try and eliminate anything the copy had summoned, but none could reach the copy itself.

Except for P-Man, waiting for the perfect moment, he warped behind his clone. "So you persist, other me?" The copy said, grinning evilly at P-Man. "I thought you would have curled up and kept shivering!"

"Do not refer to me as part of you," P-Man retorted, "you are nothing but a manifestation that I no longer am a part of! We will make sure that you are no longer haunting anyone!" Violet crystals emerged from the ground, striking the negative copy.

Hopefully, this would not drag out any longer. They had to finish this, and fast, so they could at least help everyone else against Samael and the Phantom God.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

 **Seraphs End**

The negative copy of P-Man— fittingly nicknamed "Nega P-Man" now by Daxter— felt his powers start to fade. Mainly when the original P-Man began to break his face, in a literal sense. Much like how he was fought years ago, the copy was fragile, unlike the ally on everyone's side.

"You're made up of so much negative energy, that you only know how to lash out. But you cannot take the damage dished out to you!" P-Man yelled, blasting more crystals at his counterpart. "It's as if it was all you were made for, even I know very well how to protect myself, and my friends!"

Nega P-Man then began to fly back, in hopes of getting away as he transformed into the Hydra. Evil Cole laughed, as the "Hydra" began swinging his heads around violently, smacking the All-Stars and Smashers. More clones were brought to life as well, much to the annoyance of many.

"Anyone got a good Final Smash or Level Three up their sleeves?" Sly asked, waiting for someone to answer.

"We wasted a few Smash Balls throughout the fight!" Mario answered, looking a bit panicked. "If we keep-a blowing them off, there will be none left!"

"Jiggly!" Holding one up, and about to break it, Mario, Cloud, and Meta-Knight attempted to stop Jigglypuff, but it was too late. Once it was broken, Jigglypuff began growing, and expanding. The All-Star clones made the mistake of getting close, knocked away and then exploding as they hit the walls.

Corrin was practically terrified at the sight of the giant half-Fairy, running behind Robin. The tactician would have asked why Corrin was afraid of their own ally, but the answer was obvious as always.

The "Hydra" looked down at everyone in anger, changing back to Nega P-Man. "This is becoming too much, if I can't keep summoning clones, then I shall have to finish you off by— agh! Stay away!" Assaulted by several, vicious Smashers and All-Stars, Nega P-Man was now realizing why his clones failed, compared to the originals.

They were using teamwork. The Smashers were using tag-attacks, Kirby launched Pichu from his mouth, who as discharging as much electricity as the little mouse could, ramming into Nega P-Man.

Charizard combined his Flamethrower with Blastoise's Hydro Pump, which rather than negating the fire effects, created a scalding water that burned the hateful copy. Little Mac and Donkey Kong cornered him from both sides, delivering a harsh punch to Nega P-Man's sides.

Even the All-Stars joined up on that idea. Sackboy took out a fan, using his Cakeinator while Toro began throwing balls of mochi. Both of which made it hard for Nega P-Man to see. Sir Daniel took off his head, and let Cole charge it up with electricity, so when it got close, Nega P-Man would be zapped worse than how Pichu did it. Chou-Chou enticed him by turning into her Ditz form, which allowed Laharl and Valvatorez to use a team attack as well.

Nariko and Scorpion both chained Nega P-Man, and PaRappa used his microphone as a bonus. The original P-Man prepared to deal the final blow, with Dart, Raiden, and Snake's help.

As they were about to do so however, another hand clutched onto Nega P-Man. "Man, you're useless, even with the life Phantom God gave you? I'll just take your power." Evil Cole said, grinning.

"No! What are you doing to me!?"

"Relax, we're made of the same material. Your power needs to go to someone who would use it well, that's all."

Everyone became horrified at the sight of Evil Cole absorbing Nega P-Man, seemingly wiping him out of existence. His lightning started to take on a more reddish-purplish tint at the fusion of energies. "Ha ha haaaaaaa! This power! It's like I'm filled with Level Threes! Time to unleash The - "

"Now wait just a second!" Everyone jumped at a second voice coming out of his mouth. "You have my power and you're just going to do the same exact things all over again. I wonder if we are even brothers."

"How the heck are you still alive?"

"Well I wasn't exactly dead when you absorbed me, and I'm not ready to give up my power."

"So you think you can take over my body?"

"You practically gave it to me."

"No way. You ain't getting squat."

"Have you forgotten that I am a god compared to you?!"

"Oh, some god. Got beaten so easily by some goody-goods."

"WHY YOU - !"

As the scene played out, the ones watching were unable to figure out if they should attack or fall over laughing.

"Hey, you two," Samael spoke, flying by them as he froze Joel, Chou-Chou, Wii-Fit Trainer, and Bowser in an attempt to help. "If you keep arguing over power, I'm gonna nab it from both of you, and feed it to Phantom God!" Neither Evil Cole nor Nega P-Man wanted to take orders from the angel. They knew they could probably destroy him, but it wasn't worth risking since Samael had been freezing several characters.

"Dad!" Bowser Jr. cried out, wanting to jump at the angel, but thankfully was stopped by Lucario.

"We don't follow orders, you know—"

"I follow Phantom God's word." Nega P-Man replied.

"Shut up." Evil Cole then went back to attacking the All-Stars and Smashers, while Samael focused on the Microsoft characters, along with some few others.

Combining their strength, Evil Cole was capable of some of the same attacks as before, but with a new, more damaging flavor. That being Nega P-Man's crystals and negative energy as a whole. He wasn't going to summon any clones or transform, but now he was capable of using any Super Attack when he wanted.

He wasn't as frail either, compared to Nega P-Man, no matter what everyone else hit him with, tag-attacks or otherwise, Evil Cole could brush it off easily and get back up. "I have to say, you've become a real villain over these past few years." Isaac Clarke said, trying to deflect the crystals back at Evil Cole. "You went from some anti-hero kind of person that messed around, yet helped us fight Polygon Man in the past, to someone who ran off, and lead a group of doppelgängers, going against us. Now you're back again, trying to kill all of us, not just the heroic Cole."

"What can I say? Character development."

"Developing to become even worse?" Spyro retorted.

"I'm not here to sit around until I'm not a threat at all like what happened to Zeus, Radec, and Nefarious." Activating a Level Two, several tried to get away from Evil Come as he used the Ionic Drain. Unlike regular All-Star rules, if they got killed here, it would mean they couldn't respawn, being trapped in Hell instead.

It was all becoming too tiring, they had to finish this. Their lives depended on this. Being frozen by Samael was one thing, because they were technically still alive, but being destroyed by Evil Cole was a worse fate. Yet, some of them didn't seem to care about that at all. Particularly, Pupuru didn't bat an eyelid at how dire the situation was.

"What are trying to do, Pupuru!? He might activate a Super Attack!" Kat called out to her. She was ignored however, and not even Colonel Radec could reach Pupuru. Kuu joined her, as they walked over to the powered up Evil Cole, who had a purple aura around him.

It took Evil Cole a moment to recognize who was standing there. He seriously didn't know who it was for a moment, and neither did Nega P-Man. "Wait a second, you're that clingy, annoying sorceress, aren't you? Hah, I have to say, I'm amazed at what the years have done. You don't look much like a brat anymore. Can't say the same for the spiky-haired kid and the dog."

"Yet, you have become even more immature." Pupuru replied, holding up a staff and pointing it. "You have infinite amounts of AP, and can use any Super Attack as you wish right now?"

"Is there a problem? I can feel that power in me!"

"It's my power!" Nega P-Man snapped, forcing Evil Cole to cover his mouth.

Pupuru didn't say a word and just kept smiling, as she had the Leech Beam activated this whole time. It was one of the few items brought along, just in case something like this had happened. A good decision too, since she began to obtain a lot of Evil Cole's AP. The best part was, he didn't even know it, since it had been years, Evil Cole had forgotten some of the All-Star mechanics and items.

"Dunno what you're smirking about, kid." Evil Cole continued, hoping to not be interrupted. "Are you just inviting me to kill you or something?" Pupuru kept waiting, until the Leech Beam's effects wore off. She made sure to build up AP before she got close, simply so this could be done without sealing her own fate by accident.

Just when Evil Cole wanted to use a Level Three, Pupuru began to activate her's first, shocking him and Nega P-Man. "If none of us may respawn in Hell, neither will you." She sounded serious upon saying that, opening a book, where a bright light came out of it. "Your physical form will not remain here, with the help of the Great Curry God!"

Evil Cole and Nega P-Man couldn't do anything, since Pupuru's Level Three; the Curry God's curse, was a complete "screen nuke" against foes. Phantom God definitely felt the lights from afar, but Samael tried to make a shield of ice to reflect it.

As such, Evil Cole wasn't lucky at all, as he exploded into shapes, leaving behind auras that were split into two. One red, and one violet-blue. P-Man and Madi approached the two sparks, carefully, knowing that they could probably force themselves into the former.

"What? Are you going to take our power in? You know what will happen, right?" Evil Cole's spirit chuckled.

"I'm not doing that. I'm getting rid of the both of you, for good."

"How are you going to— wait, what's that?"

A light-blue light was casted over the both of them, something P-Man didn't even know he could do, as the remaining parts of him were eaten away. "The hell is going on!? What are you doing to us!?"

"The positive is pushing over the negative. You'll be nothing more than mere neutrons, when I am finished." Overpowering the both of their non-physical forms, P-Man watched as his past burdens were finally being destroyed. Once he was finished, nothing remained. Not even a speck.

"P-Man… you did it!" Toro mewed, while Madi nodded in agreement.

"I didn't do it alone." P-Man replied, looking at Pupuru.

"You did just as much as I did." Pupuru giggled, as Kuu climbed up her uniform. "Without you, it would have taken more time to get rid of their souls, and the negative energy. At least now, that god creature can't bring either of them back."

"Enough about that guy!" Bowser Jr. wailed, pointing at Samael. "Th-that weirdo froze my dad!" Trying to wriggle free from Lucario's grasp, the All-Stars and Smashers knew they had to avenge their frozen allies, and help the Microsoft crew. The SEGA ones at least could handle themselves a bit with Phantom God, Natalie, Nick, Michael, and Caela. Mars and Metal Sonic quickly made their move to assist them as well.

Samael was literally standing on top of a frozen statue of Joanna Dark, mocking the ones trying to kill him. "No matter what heat you think you all got, it doesn't hold up to my cold betrayals." He taunted, sticking his forked tongue out at his enemies.

"Our numbers are going down, can any of you thaw the others out?" Master Chief asked, taking cover behind a block of ice.

"This place is too freezing, it's almost near impossible to melt. Charizard, Mario, Ike… no one could make any of this melt easily." Princess Zelda explained to him, as Mario tried flicking fireballs to try and thaw out Bowser. As expected, it didn't do anything.

"What could do something against this thing calling himself an angel? He has such an advantage over this freezing hellhole!" Dark Pit spat. Greninja then looked over to Uriel.

Even though his fiery sword could be easily cooled down by a surprise attack of water, there wasn't any reason to not request for his help. Sliding over to Uriel, he and Gabriel were startled. "What is it now, amphibian?" Greninja pointed over to the frozen statues, then at Uriel's "staff". The angel understood, but was hesitant. "Even if my passionate flames are unmatched, I cannot count on this working. I shall see what the 'flame of god' can do."

He got to work, while everyone else was trying to find a weak spot on Samael. Getting bored of the ice attacks, Samael unleashed a barrage of black crosses, then transformed into a snake. What's worse, was that he flew straight towards Kasumi. She freaked out as the snake coiled around her arm tightly.

"Mind if I stay here for a bit?" Samael hissed as he laughed, Kasumi trying to shake him off in disgust. He then proceed to bite her arm, sinking his teeth into her flesh, only for him to be pulled off by Wizzro, who had finally gotten back up.

"I think I've had just about enough of cooperating with you guys." The twisted wizard spat, choking the snake. "I never really agreed to any of your ridiculous motivations, really. You know me, I follow power blindly. But the power I want, is not from some— huh?"

While trying to snap the snake's body, Wizzro's hands slipped, allowing Samael to slink inside of his robe. He paused for a good moment, before feeling the snake start to bite him. "YEEEOWCH! Get him off! Get 'im off, get 'im off!"

Young Link walked up to him, bemused and unsure what to do. "Green kid, get him out of here, please! I would never ask this of one of the many incarnations of the hero, but— yeeargh!" Leaping in pain, Wizzro began spinning around, just to find where Samael was.

Without many ideas to help, Young Link took out a bomb, then threw it at Wizzro's face while he was moving around frantically. He stopped once it exploded, and the others ran over to Young Link.

"D-did you get him!?" Luigi stammered.

As they watched the snake finally fly out of the front of Wizzro's hood, he coughed. "Yes… the boy got him." Wizzro grumbled, happy that the biting stopped at least.

The wild goose chase against Samael went on, Uriel was unable to melt the ice with his blade. "Uri, don't become impatient. Maybe the sword is still dull from the water!" Gabriel said, trying to encourage his partner. "There might be another way, can't you use something else?"

"Stand back." Uriel sighed, sheathing his sword. "If this won't work, nothing else will." Pressing the palms of his hands against the frozen Bowser, Uriel's hands began to heat up.

Uriel started to grit his teeth in pain, while Gabriel gasped as his best friend was intentionally burning the skin of his palms away. Even though it hurt, unlike the sword, it was actually making progress. Water began to drip off of the ice, and it began slippery, the frost began to melt away and the ice cracked.

Bowser Jr. didn't care much about what was happening to the two angels, but his face started beaming once his father was freed, breaking free from the melting ice. "Where is that winged idiot!?" Bowser roared, looking around, furiously.

"Dad! You're okay!" Bowser Jr. cried, latching onto him. The King of Koopas couldn't help but turn his emotions around for a short moment, realizing that his son was worried, and didn't leave his side. Uriel at least now knew he could free everyone else, although it would be quite a painful process.

Samael continued pelting everyone with the black crosses instead. They struck Mario, Master Chief, and Kratos, knocking them down. "It's pitiful, really. You're three are considered Gamindustri's greatest, but you can't do a thing against me in Hell." He then prepared to freeze them, thinking about how many spirits would be crushed. Kratos readied to use the Golden Fleece, and Mario held his cape. Master Chief had Energy Shielding, but he wondered if that was enough.

His question was answered by the Energy Shield protecting him after all, Kratos and Mario deflected the blast of ice, sending it back to Samael, who covered himself with his wings. Samael was about to mock them again, until he noticed Bowser, Frank West, and Joel coming towards him angrily. "Hah? I thought I took care of them. Who thawed them out? There's no way that's—"

"I did." Uriel replied, attempting to get Captain Smiley out of the ice this time.

"Hey now, doesn't that hurt you? I don't care personally, but you know very well that was a punishment stuck to you!"

"I'm aware, and I'm using my sins to help the ones you have tormented for long enough."

Using the distraction to his advantage, Sabre jumped off of King Dedede's hammer, who flung him up to Samael. The angel felt a horrible pain in his wings suddenly, as if someone was dragging a blade through it.

… And when Samael looked back at his own wings, he saw that Sabre had done exactly that. Cutting off the angel's wings past the bone, rendering him flightless. Once Samael saw the wings fall to the ground, feather, bones and all, he started to do the same.

"You don't deserve your wings, you're no angel, the demon world has tainted you far too much!" Sabre yelled, trying to make a decent enough landing.

"Don't pool us demons in with him!" Laharl snapped.

"Agreed. He went sour even before falling into Makai." Morrigan said.

Pupils turning into slits, and fangs showing, Samael was becoming actually angry for once. "You will regret that one," he hissed, "I was going to toy with everyone, but I'm just going to turn you all into icy trophies now!" Gaining frostbite on his hands, similar to the burns on Uriel, Samael began charging a great amount of ice power, his face becoming agitated as he prepared to strike the ground. "Say goodbye to the world you cherish! You'll never visit it again!"

Letting out a battle cry, about to pound the floor with his bare hands, his arms were caught. A burning sensation went through him, as if Samael was making direct contact with fire. He glanced at who was holding his arms, recognizing that it was Uriel. "Let me go! This needs to be finished!" Trying to overpower the hot with cold, Samael struggled violently, while Uriel remained calm.

"I agree, it does. I would impale your wicked being with my own blade, but I most hold you still." Uriel said, holding him back without breaking a sweat. "Who would like to deal the finishing blow? I do mean, really finish him." Bayonetta was tempted, since slaying twisted angels was a profession, but she could tell that many others were itching to do it.

Rin began to step forward, Sabre and Madi doing the same. "Wicked spirits… should be punished, and as a reincarnation of a qilin." She gulped, preparing to finish Samael off, with her own divine power. Her hands began to shake however.

"Y'all three shouldn't go down some vengeful path like I did." The Gunstringer interrupted, trying to pull Rin back. "I wouldn't want any of ya ta dirty yer hands with him—"

"Dirty ourselves!? It was our fault, falling for his lies!" Madi objected.

"No Madi, he's right." Sabre spoke, trying to keep her from shouting. "No matter the circumstance. As I have said before, revenge is only going to eat us alive."

Bayonetta handed over one of her "Love is Blue" guns to the marionette, smirking at him. "I hope you know how to use these, if you're the one that wishes to do the deed. Your normal toys won't do a thing against him I'm afraid."

"Toys? And yeah, I know what I'm doin', witch."

"Just make sure you do not end up hitting me in the process." Uriel mumbled.

Samael continued kicking and yelling, trying to transform into a snake, but unable to do that even. He eventually stopped, once the guns were pointed at his body. A few shots were fired, none of them harming Uriel, and only making contact with Samael's body. He twitched, as a thick, black liquid came out from where his wounds were.

His muscles began to weaken, eyes losing their color completely. Samael was dying, finally. But as expected, he was not going down without saying a word.

"Even if I die here, I don't know why I struggle." Samael lightly twitched again, trying to smile, only for it to fade back into a neutral, dead expression. "The Adam and Eve I fed knowledge to, still are around, where you met your outsider friends. All the seeds of chaos have been planted, this was the most entertaining way to go, wasn't it?"

"Samael… I still don't understand why." Gabriel whimpered.

"Everything is for fun. You know what this land is? A game, to me. Gamindustri, should be played with. You would all do well to remember that." Samael coughed, his body beginning to turn to nothing but bits of ice, melting before it could hit the frozen ground.

He definitely functioned differently than most angels Bayonetta was used to. Samael was a traditional, but more frail one. "I didn't expect those shots alone to eliminate his entire presence." She retained her charisma, not caring much for Samael's words as he departed.

"I wanted to finish him off, just so he would shut up about such nonsense." Zarok grumbled.

"Now," Fox said, "there's just one more to go!"

Everyone looked to Phantom God, who was still fighting with the four outsiders and SEGA characters.

The Phantom God was having difficulty due to the now unpredictable nature of his enemies' attacks. Having realized that they could also do third-party characters that were featured on their consoles, they went all out. Nick was Marquis d'Caliber from Battleborn, Caela was Tracer from Overwatch, Michael various Necromorphs from Dead Space Extraction, and Natalie was one of the shooters from Contra. Not fully comprehending the increase in attack variety, his hatred of them only grew, and it didn't help that some of them were getting into character.

"I shall now add insult to injury: You are unemployable!"

"Not much of a chance now love, now that's the cavalry's here!"

"Are you trying to rip off my high-class style? I'll sue you!"

"Playing the part isn't just 'your thing'. If you got the time to check it out, you'd know that."

"For your information, time is a luxury I can afford."

"Not right now, we've got a world to save!"

"I think I can because," Nick changed again, "I'm a Force of Nature!"

He was now the Scout from Team Fortress 2, running in before letting loose as the Heavy. Caela just rolled her eyes as she attacked as various bosses from Castlevania. Meanwhile, Michael and Natalie were in a combo move with Sonic, using his form and using all three of their speeds to create a tornado filled with homing attacks. They were able to leave some scratches on him, enough for him to start clutching his side where he was hit. The other SEGA characters weren't slacking off either.

Ristar was using his arms to launch Vectorman, Ulala, Earthworm Jim, and Toejam and Earl into the air so they could shoot at Phantom God's face. NiGHTS and Beat aided in distraction while Arle provided shield cover for Xavier, Alex, Akira, and Bahn, so they can get close to attack. Gilius rolled in with AiAi for hit-and-run attacks, while Chuck helped throw Billy's eggs. Amigo stayed at a distance, using his dance moves and maracas in a code that only the SEGA characters knew, to help in planning out strategies on the fly.

" **I…...HAVE HAD….ENOUGH…...OF THIS!** _ **MEGIDO!**_ **"**

A laser starting charging, fueled with the Phantom God's seemingly endless anger. But thanks to so much anger being put into it, there was enough time to get out of the way, but the shockwave was still powerful enough to raise up flying debris and send several characters flying. Many were knocked out almost instantly, even those from the other side of the room were no match for his wrath. The outsiders only got a few scratches, but their worry started to increase. Then Caela remembered something. "The big flash!"

Everyone looked at her. "What?"

"The big flash, from before we started the descent. The one that felt incomplete, remember?"

"Oh yeah, what about it?"

"What if we try it again, with all four of us?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When we got our confidence back, we tried on of those cheesy 'go team' moments, but our glows merged and went boom. It felt like something was missing, but now we have the chance to try again."

"It's not like we have anything else we can try."

"OK, I might not know exactly what you're talking about, but I'll give it a try?"

"Mind if we help?"

They turned to see that Kratos, Ratchet, Clank, Mario, Kirby, Master Chief, Reimu, Sonic, and Arle arrived behind them, raring to go. "We'll try to add our energy to yours, increasing it. We can also give the energy direction while you focus on uniting it!" Arle explained, somehow knowing what she they were up to.

The outsiders looked at each other for a second and nodded. Poking their heads out, they waited for an opportunity to rush out. The Phantom God was surprisingly just standing there, his eyes closed. Natalie began to panic. "He's healing himself! We have to move now!" Nick instantly let loose with an AK-47, breaking the Phantom God out of his trance while the rest got into position.

"You still dare try to sting me, little bugs? In that case, I will drag to all down to despair!" Using his powers, he brought forth the portal that brought him here. "I have changed the destination of the portal, to a nameless void! You will all be lost forever, and cease to be! Let that be your punishment for getting into my affairs, outsiders!"

Getting in front of Ratchet and Kratos, Nick started to get mad. "How many times do I have to tell you? We're not outsiders, _WE'RE GAMERS!_ "

" **UNITY!"**

The characters grabbed the shoulders of the gamer most connected to their console, as the gamers brought their hands together as one, their love of games, and more importantly, their friendship, coming together as one in one, massive build of energy. Which, thanks to the characters, was heading straight for the Phantom God. "I won't let you! _Photon Smasher!_ "

Intense lightning came down, but it was easily overcome by the incoming blast, breaking through it, and then through the Phantom God. The Phantom God fell over, trying his hardest just to breathe, when he saw something that made his blood boil.

"The portal!" Everyone turned to where he was looking, wondering what he was talking about, and gasped at what the portal was showing.

"Is that - "

"It can't be….."

"But it is."

"Well how about that."

The characters were a bit confused, but the gamers knew the location perfectly well, and the Phantom God spoke their thoughts. "Their…..their world. When the energy struck me…...some of it…..must have….hit the portal. Their combined energy…..was the wavelength…...needed to…..open it…...after all. I almost destroyed…..the key to all this….why won't my misery end? Having to….keep them…...alive…"

The Phantom God stopped talking, too weak to continue. All he could do was one last move. With a wave of his hand, he activated the portal, making it suck in the ones closest to it, which were the gamers and other characters. Unable to get loose, they shouted out to the others.

"Don't worry about us! We've been in worse!"

"It's our world anyway, we can guide them!"

"And while we're there we can look for Bleu!"

"I know where she is! I can take you!"

"We'll meet up with you later! See ya!"

After they got pulled in, the portal closed, but the machine that was linked to it started to break down, before it blew up entirely. The Phantom God gave out one last taunting laugh before his head rolled over with his eyes closed.

"Arle?… Arle!" Mega Man shouted, as many began to realize that many were gone, with no way to return.

"M-Mario!" Luigi cried, Princess Peach, Rosalina, and Yoshi sharing his despair.

"No! We need to get Cupcake back! He only just returned!" Sweet Tooth snapped.

"Master Chief being too noble as always." Marcus commented quietly.

Panic started to sink in. Everyone who could move started to dig through the rubble trying to find anything salvageable. It looked like everything was beyond repair. Hope was about to be lost…

"I have a copy of the plans!" A familiar voice hissed. Arriving onto the scene, was Rez, holding a chip of some kind. "I didn't quite trust them enough in portal technology, so I kept a copy for my own trip to find Bleu. If we can get the parts, we can rebuild the portal!" Some almost tossed Rez in the air for that, Gex included. But the need to save their friends came higher, and they got straight to work.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

 **Home Sweet Home**

Fresh, crisp air. Something Natalie had not felt in a long while, especially ever since she had been brought to Hell. It had been mostly cold she felt for a long while, and feeling a bit of sunlight hit her face, Natalie began to wake up.

The sun was setting, being a sweet orange color, as the sky was a beautiful shade of pink, which was reflected off of the water of a nearby river. Natalie began to smile warmly, knowing she was home. This was the park she and her friends always liked to walk around when it was nice out.

A poster caught Natalie's attention on a telephone pole. A missing poster, with her face on it. Along with her, was Nick, Michael, and Caela. Just how long had they been gone? It was amazing that someone noticed too.

Oddly enough, the first person to get up besides Natalie wasn't even one of her friends, but Mario. Natalie had almost forgotten that a handful of characters had gone along with them, so it was… jarring to see the cartoonish, italian plumber not change his appearance by much when he got up and began moving around.

It was going to be hard, having them around and not drawing any attention. Thankfully it was getting dark out, so it might be less difficult at such an hour. Maybe disguising Kratos, Reimu, and Arle would help too. As for Master Chief, Natalie had no idea what he looked like underneath that helmet, since she did not play Halo games, she hoped he was a normal human though.

Mario's first course of action was to wake Kirby of course, along with Sonic. "Poyo!" Kirby greeted, which startled Michael enough to wake him. Rubbing his eyes, Michael tried to shake Caela, in hopes of getting her up next.

Yawning in exhaustion, Caela got up to her feet. "Is… everyone alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. Natalie, could you get Nick up?" Michael asked.

Doing so, Natalie lightly nudged him, which was enough to get a reaction out of Nick. "I'm up, I'm up!" He jumped, looking around, shocked to see what they really were back in their world. Even crazier to Nick, was how characters from Gamindustri really managed to come with them.

"They're in our world now… I can't believe it! They're with us!" Nick laughed.

"That's not entirely a good thing. How are we going to get back to our homes without, you know, someone thinking they're losing it?" Michael pointed out.

"Poyo?" Kirby chimed in, as his body became ghost-like, in the same way that Natalie, Nick, Michael, and Caela could do that. Mario and Sonic were shocked for a good moment.

"Well, uh…" Sonic spoke, tapping the side of Arle's body with his shoe to wake her up next. "I think we just found a way, if we can all do that." Attempting it for himself, Sonic's found his body turning nearly invisible.

"I don't understand, what's-a going on?" Mario wondered, while Arle finally got up. "We're able to make ourselves into ghosts like you could, but we can't transform? Instead, we can be solid at anytime?" To test his questions, Mario touched a bench while solid. He could feel it just fine. Becoming translucent at will, he touched it again, and Mario's gloved hand passed through the bench.

They were going to have to find out more about this if they could, but not before heading for one of their homes. Though, it was difficult agreeing to whose house they should stop at…

—

Even though everyone was freaking out to make sure they didn't miss any pieces, wanting to stay longer if that was the case— especially the Dark Champion— it was generally agreed that they couldn't spend another minute in Hell's bottom circle. Gabriel and Uriel stayed behind, mainly since the latter could thaw out the Eternal Champion, and others that were imprisoned, once the angel recovered.

They couldn't keep the CPUs worrying, so they brought parts of the machine all the way back up, hoping to repair it in Planeptune's Basilicom. While Neptune and Angela were glad to see everyone was okay, especially Mr. Grimm, Nepgear wasn't sure what to think about Mars, while Histoire was freaking out.

Surprisingly enough, the other CPUs were present in Planeptune as well. Noire and Uni had recovered a bit, but were still bandaged up. It was as if something was serious if they had to be all brought together.

"Where are those four right now?" Histoire asked.

"Back in their world, Sonic, Arle, and others are with them." NiGHTS replied.

"No… please, you have to hurry to bring Sonic and the other Gamindustri residents back, Bleu as well if she really is there!"

"Histoire? What's wrong?" Billy Hatcher wondered.

"If they mess around too much with relics, similar to the New Game Plus, I fear the worst may happen!"

"Relics, besides the New Game Plus? What are you referring to?" Xavier questioned.

She was going to lose it any moment, stress and worry was overwhelming the oracle. Sighing, Histoire held her head, hoping someone else would explain it for her. "I am afraid the one responsible for creating the New Game Plus was the Lord of Games." Vert explained, handing a cup of black tea to the Dark Champion. "Histoire fears that messing too much with them could signal his return. That is impossible though, when he was killed."

"His own essence could be inside of…" Histoire murmured, biting her fingernails. While most went quiet, Rez was attempting to piece together the machine, with the help of Dr. Eggman and Nefarious, who were constantly disagreeing with each other. It made Rez wish that he had asked for someone else's assistance.

"Histoire, what other things did L.O.G help with, besides the New Game Plus?" Mr. Grimm asked next, lifting a very excited Angela off the ground, who didn't seem to know what was going on.

"Back before he revealed his true colors? I… I have to look into that again." Histoire murmured, going back to do exactly that. Again, no one was really sure how to react to this being revealed only now. They wished that they had been told sooner, but it didn't matter at this point. Getting Bleu and others back to Gamindustri mattered more.

During this, Scervo examined Mars out of curiosity, not paying mind to the arguments Eggman and Nefarious were having. "So, considerin' how that Mercury lass was super serious and loyal, what's this one like?" He asked Orbot and Cubot, who were standing in place. "She's a savage in-battle, but is she like that all the time?"

"No," Orbot replied, "when Mars isn't in her 'merciless machine' mode, she… spouts memes."

"What?"

"Take my word for it, you don't want to talk to her. Much less, want her on your side. Dr. Eggman tried too hard to emulate Neptune herself."

Scervo didn't understand what any of that meant, but he almost didn't want to know either. Being an ancient robot, most of that wouldn't click with him anyway. Mars had been entirely silent too, so maybe it was best not to set her off right now. The work on repairing the machine continued, realizing they had to hurry at this point.

—

Agreeing to stop at Nick's house over everyone else's, Reimu promptly threw herself on his couch when they got there. "Did anyone see us on the way here?" Caela asked. "The last thing we need right now is to be questioned by the police or something at this hour."

"I hope not. How are we going to hide eight video game characters?" Natalie groaned.

"Erm, nine, actually." Clank corrected. "I am present—"

"Ten." Arle interrupted, Carbuncle jumping off of her back. "Carby has been with me the whole time we were down in Hell, but he was quiet."

Like Reimu, Carbuncle instantly made himself comfortable on the couch, taking a nap on it. "Okay, is anyone else hiding characters behind their back?" Michael sighed, out of breath from the long walk back to Nick's house, with no stops whatsoever.

"Think any our parents are going to be worried?" Natalie muttered. Nick's first instinct was to check his cellphone, which had lost connection ever since they fell into Gamindustri. No surprise, it was blown up with missed calls and text messages.

"I think you should all go home. Maybe bring your favorite characters with you."

"But I just got here!" Michael complained.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna be responding to a lot of stuff. I suggest doing the same."

"What story do we make up even? No one is going to believe what we just went through!" Caela said.

"Uh… okay, hold on." Nick replied, trying to think of something that could work. "We were kidnapped, but we never saw who took us away? We escaped though, but ran out of phone battery so we couldn't respond right away. That shouldn't arouse too much suspicion, right?"

"That will cause a lot of suspicion! What are you talking about!?" Natalie pointed out.

"Not really, it's not like the police do much in this town. Remember that person who kept stealing consoles? They still haven't caught them!"

"Who goes around stealing consoles?" Sonic wondered.

"I still don't know. They go around nabbing prototypes. It's the weirdest thing." Michael replied.

Clank and Master Chief couldn't help but wonder about that, if it had anything to do with Gamindustri, or if some loon was going around collecting prototypes. "Listen, right early in the morning, once we clear all of this up, we're going to search for Bleu." Nick said. "But we also have to be careful, y'know, maybe you guys can uh, make yourself invisible entirely?"

"It took a lot of energy out of some of us just to be completely solid for a few minutes, so I don't know about that." Reimu grumbled, as she got pulled off the couch by Master Chief. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"We're going with Caela back to her house, where you can rest there. Stop being lazy, you can walk more." Ratchet and Sonic couldn't help but chuckle at the both of them, as everyone except three Playstation characters remained at Nick's house. This was going to take a long while. Kratos wondered how different time passed in this world compared to Gamindustri. Probably nothing too drastic, he hoped.

—

Night-time in Gamindustri, either it was beautiful, or very dangerous. Monsters often lurked at such a time, and most of the CPUs remaining in Planeptune suggested that their beloved characters return to their respective nation.

The main exceptions were Dr. Nefarious and Rez, who remained in Planeptune to try and help with the machine. This left the oracles in charge mostly. In Lowee's case, there was Master and Crazy Hand, while Lastation allowed P-Man to help too.

Leanbox, wasn't so lucky. They had one very clingy oracle, who constantly worried over Vert when she didn't return, or when the CPU didn't give attention. This combined with Master Chief not being able to also try to take charge, the residents struggled to put up with Chika Hakozaki.

"Chika, please, try to control yourself." Glacius spoke.

"Why is my dear sister not back yet!? She cares more about Caela than me suddenly, doesn't she!?"

"This concerns everyone, not just Vert."

Rather concerned by the obsessive oracle, Rin looked over to the others. "Is this something that happens normally?" She asked quietly, hoping not to raise Chika's attention over to them.

"Chika is spoiled, and wants Vert's attention all the time. If anything something closely resembling a sibling enters Vert's life, she gets really upset. It's stupid." Kazooie groaned, preparing to hide in Banjo's backpack. "If she's going to do this for the rest of the night, how am I going to get any sleep!?"

"Brains!" Stubbs shouted, the talisman still stuck on his face this entire time.

"Is this guy ever going to shut u— wait, why is that still on him?" Sho asked.

"I think it's for the better that it stays on him really." Conker said.

"Concerning what was said about L.O.G, now I know why I came back." Jack Walters finally spoke up, sitting in a wooden chair. "backup data. When I was deleted, someone must have booted something up again… I know I wasn't the only one who came back either, most likely." Some shuddered at the thought of a particular orange bobcat coming back from the dead. Hopefully, he wouldn't be bothering those in Leanbox however, and pester those in Planeptune or Lowee instead.

Madotsuki had fallen asleep, but only while balled up on the floor. She was probably listening to what Walters said, and felt a certain event being recalled to her. The moment the detective tried to sacrifice himself, to be exact. One that she wanted to block out.

"All of you get rest. Especially you, Chika. We don't need you worrying over Vert when she's just in Planeptune." Marcus ordered, which lead to a comical sight of Captain Smiley shoving Stubbs back into the basement, while ripping the talisman off of him finally, before locking the door.

Being that he was a restless sort of character, the Gunstringer looked over to El Diablo. "Why are ya still here? Shouldn't yer devilish carcass go back to Hell?"

"Not until Satan and many others are thawed out. Particularly, I need those reapers to bring back the souls of those you killed… again. So my queen can return to her throne. If not, then I may not be a very happy devil." Even though that last part sounded serious, he merely chuckled. "Trying to kick me out so you can be alone with that one, now that the shrine maiden is gone, is that right?"

"Sh-shut it, buckeroo, not what I had in mind! Dunno how ya even…"

"Figured it out? Your actions in Hell against Samael spoke volumes, that's what. Maybe I should let her know." El Diablo kept laughing, until a gun was pointed directly at him. "W-wait now, I was simply jesting you, amigo! Gyah!" Ignoring his apology, the Gunstringer began firing at El Diablo's shoes. The rest of the night went on like that, until Dust had to break up their little dispute for making too much noise.

—

" _Where were you!?"_

" _Are you okay!?"_

" _You're back!?"_

" _Everyone was wondering where you were!"_

" _We thought you died!"_

That summed up all of the calls and messages Natalie had gotten. It was stressful, responding to each one and trying to be consistent with her storytelling. The story Nick made up, that was. She had to write it down, just to repeat herself perfectly, without messing anything up.

What's worse, the police actually did show up at Natalie's house. Sonic, Arle, and Carbuncle had to hide because of it. At 6 A.M., no less. Not exactly the way Natalie ever wanted to start her morning. "Did any of you get a visit from the law?" Natalie grumbled at her laptop, which had a group call on.

"No." Nick said.

"Yes." Michael groaned.

"I didn't— oh crud, door's ringing, that's probably them now. Gotta go." Caela then ended her part of the call to go answer the door, which made Nick start giggling.

On the plus side, after this, there would be no more "missing person" papers or whatever else. But on the other, they were probably going to be bothered all day. Their priority was finding Bleu, and fast so this could all be over with. Yet, it seemed now the real world was a new obstacle. "Maybe we should lay low and stay at home for a little bit, if we're going to be pestered so much." Michael suggested, drowsily.

"How are we going to do that!? We have to find Bleu, and get her back in Gamindustri!" Nick retorted.

"I dunno, maybe… send someone normal-looking out there?"

When Michael said that, there was a bit of a pause. If not for Arle's… slightly anime-esque look, she could fit in with normal people. Same issue probably applied to Reimu. There was probably better luck on Nick's end, with Kratos.

"Give Kratos some face paint possibly, Nick. He could go out there and look for Bleu." Natalie finally replied.

"I don't even have any face paint!"

"Well then, when Caela comes back, should we ask her if Master Chief had a normal head?"

"That's going to take a while, considering when I was questioned." Michael mumbled over the call.

"We should be doing this ourselves! We promised to find Bleu!" Nick snapped.

"You say that, but then the cops are going to pay you a visit next."

"Good reason to get out of the house now."

"They'll probably find you, but if you wanna go out there… I'm going back to sleep." Michael yawned.

"I might do the same, I didn't get enough of it." Natalie agreed.

That settled it then, as much as Nick would have preferred going with Natalie and Michael, he could get a head start, and search for Bleu. Not before leaving a message on the chat for Caela to read though, once she came back. He hoped that she would catch up maybe, since she certainly had the energy, unlike Natalie and Michael.

Of course, Nick believed that Natalie and Michael would also join in after their nap. There was no reason not to, after all. Now that he thought about it more though, the thought of being constantly bombarded by people who wondered where they went did intimidate him a little.

—

"So those four kids finally came back! Crazy, isn't it? Supposedly they were kidnapped." He sighed, having gone on a long, morning jog, and returned for lunch with the nameless, amnesiac woman. "First the police can't catch someone who steals, what was it? Video games? Then they can't help you with your identity or memories. Now, they couldn't even stop a kidnapping, find missing people, and they all managed to get out on their own!"

"Don't you think zey should bring in more professional people, Birdie?" The woman asked, sipping her cup of coffee as they sat in a diner.

"Yes, I do! I mean, sheesh. This place is screwed if all of these things are going down. How long had they been gone for? Almost a month? Usually by then, people assume the worst, but there they are. No thanks to—"

"Bleu!?" Nick exclaimed, running into the diner, panting. Both Birdie and the woman looked at him, mildly surprised to see him show up, and in such a hurry. Ratchet, Clank, and Kratos were with him, but remained invisible to anyone that could have been nearby.

"Hey, you're one of those kids, aren't you?" Birdie asked, while the woman began staring off a little. "I'm sorry about what happened, that must have been awful! What brings you here? Hungry? I can buy you something on the house." Birdie was always a caring sort of guy, something that made him easy to get along with, Nick could see why already.

"No, I'm here to talk with Bleu… that's your name, right?"

"Blue?" Birdie raised a brow, not understanding what Nick meant.

The woman however, started to hold her head. "Do you mean… moi?" she pointed at herself, not understanding why Nick would know that, and if he was serious. It must have been true though, because unlike other names people had been trying to identify her with, this one was giving her some sort of headache.

"Brown hair in a bun, yellow shirt with an ascot, blue skirt, amnesia… You're Bleu! Look, it's a long story, and I can't explain it here, but—"

"Whoa, whoa, you kids know who she is!?"

"We found out just recently!" Birdie wondered if this had to do with the kidnapping, although, this was simply because he didn't know the truth. "Like I said, we need to talk about it elsewhere though. My friends will be joining me soon. Where do you guys live?"

"I'll take you, but uh," Birdie then gestured to the diner's kitchen. "I'm waiting for my lunch. If you're in that much of a hurry though, I understand!"

Nick was a little impatient right now, but he was going to have to wait for his friends anyway, and it would be a little mean to deny Birdie of his lunch. Whipping out his phone, Nick instantly messaged the other three that he had found Bleu, and that all would probably go uphill from here.

Nick waited as much as he could. Ratchet and Kratos knew he was getting agitated, with the finding of Bleu and a little lack of sleep. They were feeling a bit the same too, but they didn't know what they could do or say without raising suspicion. Meanwhile Birdie got his lunch and was enjoying it despite the current situation, and Bleu trying to figure out what exactly that name meant to her. It didn't help her headache that she kept seeing something that looked like silhouettes of a big man and a cat-like being.

The others finally showed up, Natalie and Michael still rubbing their eyes while Caela looked like she needed some aspirin. Their characters were right behind them, invisible as well, but still visible to each other.

"That's her?"

"Yep."

"She remembers nothing?"

"Not a thing."

"Does she think you're crazy?"

"He probably does, not sure about her."

Birdie was almost done when he head that remark. He almost glared, but decided to just go with the possibility that these kids actually knew something about Bleu. After he paid the check, he brought everyone back to his home so they could talk.

—

An apartment building. Not a shabby one either, though it was pretty clear that most of the care for it must have been done by Bleu. Particularly with the decorations. Michael couldn't help but think, now that he was more awake, that Birdie looked familiar. Mario and Kirby were speechless, waiting for a chance to say something to the young man.

"Bleu, this is… going to be hard, but," Natalie then looked at the air. "Okay guys, show yourselves."

Birdie and Bleu had no idea what to expect, until all ten characters suddenly made themselves visible before their very eyes. Birdie nearly jumped out of his skin, primarily focusing on Mario and Kirby, while Bleu outright gasped.

"Do you recall any of us by chance, Bleu?" Clank asked politely. "I understand your shock, and unfortunately, it's only going to be more, erm—"

"Th-those two are Nintendo characters though, why did they suddenly show up like some sort of ghost!?" Birdie stammered, holding his own head this time. "Ugh, man, I could never stomach the colors even if they're nostalgic, they're such an eyesore. I mean, no offense or anything, I just instantly get a headache… That is, unless I'm seeing things right now."

Mario folded his arms, knowing that something was definitely odd here, but he didn't want to interrupt Clank. "You are not, I'm afraid. We all come from Gamindustri, a dimension where characters that many see as virtual entertainment, exist. The lands are split into nations, where a goddess— or, god— reigns over one of them. They're known as CPUs; Console Patron Units.

"Bleu, you yourself were a CPU in Gamindustri known as Blue Heart, but were unfortunately exiled from the heavens and lost your nation; Deeyo. You struggled to get revenge, and then also revive other fallen gods, and succeeded at the latter. However, at such a cost, you sent yourself through dimensions, and ended up here, losing your memory."

All of it was moving too fast for Bleu, her hands trembled, head pounding. "Your oracle, Adalnan. He misses you greatly, and saw you as a mother. Gex, the gecko, viewed you in a similar manner along with Isaac Clarke, even though he barely knew you. You may look like a woman in her thirties at best, but you are truly over hundreds of years old, and can never age." Kratos continued, causing her to dig her fingernails into her hair.

"We were never kidnapped, we just said that to cover the truth." Caela spoke next. "When you used the New Game Plus, sometimes parts of it would scatter, left behind by you. We all got too close to a chunk of it, and were sent into Gamindustri! That's how we know all this, and how we came back with these guys. If we told the truth to anyone, we would be seen as crazy!"

There was a pause, as so many keywords were rushing to Bleu. "Eet's… not zat I do not believe you, I do, considering what eez before my eyes right now." Moving her shaky hands away from her head, Bleu looked at them. "What do I even do as zis… CPU? How do I…"

"You have the ability to change forms, to become CPU Blue Heart. However, given the world you are in, that may not be possible, as far as I'm aware." Master Chief replied.

"This is such craziness—"

"Birdie," Mario interrupted finally, "you're-a no different than her."

Nearly everyone except Kirby was stunned to hear this suddenly revealed. "What? Are you saying Birdie is a CPU also?" Sonic asked, in a rather joking manner.

"No! I mean that he also lost his memories, and gets headaches looking at us! Birdie, I remember you!" Mario explained, much to the young man's shock. "You were that one boxer, after Little Mac who wanted to follow in his-a steps—"

"Wait, you mean," Michael began to wake up a little more, "this guy is… the protagonist of Super Punch Out, for the SNES!? How did I not see it before!?"

"That's-a right." Mario kept going. "Birdie, you beat Glass Joe's student; Gabby Jay, many others… including the Bruiser Brothers! But then years later after you became the champion, you vanished!"

"Poyo!" Kirby exclaimed, as if trying to confirm Mario's words as truth.

"Because you were forgotten like Glass Joe said… you were spirited away. Like Bleu, you didn't remember a thing. That's-a why you took her in when you found her, didn't you? Because like her, no one was able to identify you, or help you regain your memories."

"Ironically, the one thing he can't stand looking at because it gives him a headache, was the link to who he was it seems." Michael smiled, no longer feeling as groggy.

"It's-a sad… two other boxers, Challenger and Mark Tyler disappeared too according to rumors. Now I can't-a help but wonder if they shared your fate, and are out there somewhere." Mario finally finished, looking down at the floor, feeling guilty no doubt that this had happened.

Birdie however, saw many things flash before his eyes.

His victory against Gabby Jay, Bald Bull, Masked Muscle, Mr. Sandman, Mad Clown, Super Macho Man…

Rick and Nick Bruiser, the last two who stuck out the most, making Birdie champion of the Special Circuit. He remembered holding that belt up high, and talking to those he had defeated afterwards, just to thank them for being a good sport.

But then, one day, after years of early retirement, a violet portal opened up. Filled with eyes, and hands that grabbed him, Birdie screamed as he was pulled into the void, someone laughing at him, in a playful manner.

After that, he woke up, with zero memory. The only thing that retained, was his passion for training and becoming the world's greatest boxer again. No one could properly help him remember, so people began to call him "Birdie" because of his… rather messy hairstyle.

He blinked. Remembering who he was finally. Mario could tell that's what Birdie was realizing as well. This whole time, a former resident of Gamindustri, had been helping a fallen CPU. Little Mac's lost successor, was standing there, knowing who he was, and now realizing what he wanted to do.

Not only did he want to help Bleu, but Birdie wanted to go back home, and reunite with the other boxers if they remembered him. "Birdie?" Bleu murmured, trying to make sure he was alright.

"Bleu… they're telling the truth. You have to be a CPU!" Birdie exclaimed, startling her once more. Tears began to form in her eyes, unsure of what kind of reality this was. It was one she accepted, but one that frightened her quite a lot.

That was when there was someone began banging on the door, grabbing everyone's attention. "Mr. Birdie?" A rather congested voice spoke up on the other side. "I got some reports that one of them missin' kids came home with ya, I would like to speak with 'im."

Nick had a feeling that this meant him. Unsure what else he could do, Birdie opened the door, right as all the Gamindustri residents— minus him and Bleu of course— became completely invisible. No surprise, an officer stood there, looking like he had a sunburn on his face.

Finally, it was Nick's turn to be questioned about the kidnapping. Birdie hoped he didn't have to be roped up into it, as did Bleu. Poor Nick was definitely going to be exhausted by the end of it though.


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

 **The Thief**

Nick had a migraine once the questioning was finally over with. Birdie and Bleu couldn't help but really feel bad for him. The latter even suggested that he lie down and relax, maybe take a nap for a good hour before getting back up again.

"How are we going to return to Gamindustri? Besides waiting for everyone else to do something." Reimu asked, while Kratos looked out the window, watching people in the city walk past all the buildings. "Do we just keep playing memory games with Bleu?"

"That sounds like a fun idea!" Mario cheered, looking at Bleu. "What's your favorite color?" Sonic couldn't help but slap his palm against his face when Mario asked that question.

"Ah… blue?" Bleu shrugged, knowing that was obvious.

"Hmm, very good! Okay, favorite animal?"

"Lizards, I think, reptiles in general." Bleu answered. This wasn't too surprising either, considering Gex.

"Favorite weapons?"

"Handguns and revolvers."

Bleu paused for a good moment, as did Birdie, who spoke up first. "Did you just say you like guns!? Sheesh, I didn't take you as the kind of CPU to handle those, but okay, if it helps you remember."

"I didn't take myself as someone to handle firearms either, oh, mon dieu." Bleu tried to laugh it off nervously, hoping she at least never killed anyone, unless they were really bad people.

"They were more like 'waterarms', really." Ratchet commented.

"Eh? Like a squirt-gun you see in ze toy store?"

"More like powerful spurts of water, fired out of revolvers… Hard to imagine, I know."

"Non, not at all, I can envision eet! Were zey… golden?"

Everyone began to smile, seeing her able to remember this without any headaches. "That is correct." Clank confirmed. "You seem to be much more confident at recalling who you are now, Bleu. Perhaps we should give out some names to her, and see what pops into her mind first."

As they were tossing suggestions around, Kratos couldn't help but keep his eyes on an older man. He had light-blonde hair, and wore a red tunic, carried around some kind of walking stick, along with a bag…

On his tunic there was a button of some kind clipped on. One that Kratos thought he had seen before, many times. The fact the outfit as a whole reminded him of someone he knew didn't help. Something about this man, he just couldn't let go.

He wasn't going to let him get away so easily either, making his way through the crowds. "I know we are trying to help Bleu recall her memory, but something is bothering me." Kratos spoke. "There is someone here in this world that I wish to question."

"Who would that be?" Master Chief asked.

"I do not know who they are, but they remind me of someone I have met!" With that, Kratos phased through the window, prompting everyone besides Nick to run out of the apartment after Kratos, hoping he wouldn't be spotted or cause a scene of some kind.

Once they were all outside, they all began looking around. "Kratos went that way, to the left!" Arle direct them, able to see him even when he made himself completely invisible. Running after him, Kratos began to catch up with the man.

There was a cape-like cloth around his tunic, which had a star pattern of some kind on it. Kratos definitely knew who he was confronting now, as he tried to reach out to the older man, who he got closer to with each seconds. Kratos had to scare him, or do something, to make the man halt.

Reaching out his arm, Kratos made only his arm solid, and grabbed the man's shoulder, tightly. The man flinched, turning around, seeing nothing there, but saw a group running towards him. Such a sight was puzzling, because there was no way that they were after anything he had… or were they?

"Why did you go after this guy?" Sonic asked.

"He looks far too much like someone I know. After hearing what happened to Birdie, it can only be a possibility."

"Can I help you with something?" The man spoke in a polite, mature tone. One that wasn't entirely serious or deep, almost jolly perhaps under his appearance. "Ah, I have seen you two running around this city before. I'm in quite a hurry."

No one was sure what to say, since this was happening so fast. "A friend of ours, he wanted to speak with you." Birdie replied, being good at approaching strangers. "Can we pull you away for a moment for a quick discussion maybe?"

"Sorry, I'm a busy man." Ready to turn around and leave, the man caught an outline of quite a few characters, then became concerned once Kratos touched his shoulder again. Rather than freaking out, the man just stopped for a good minute, thinking over what supernatural nonsense just happened. "Hm, well, I suppose I can stop for a few minutes. Where are you going to take me?"

"Back to my place!" Birdie gave a thumbs up, guiding the man back. No one was exactly sure what Kratos was trying to do, and they wondered exactly how important it was.

—

The reality was, time passed in Gamindustri more slowly than it did in the real world. While it was past noon over there, it was still only night in the world of the virtual. And the entire night, the Dark Champion never stopped trying to help with the machine.

His worries for Natalie continued to grow, which piqued Xavier Pendragon's curiosity, as he had gotten up, wondering about the progress being made. "I'm impressed." The alchemist spoke, getting the Dark Champion's attention. "You went from someone who enjoyed death, agreed to freezing your own brother, and went along with some fiendish characters… to weakening for a human of another world."

"I don't understand it myself." The Dark Champion mumbled. "I never will. She showed that much care for me, my own brother, the series we came from, and so many forgotten ones. Even if it was originally to lure her, I… I couldn't understand, how one could be so kind. I softened, but I do not regret it. I would have felt worse in the end, surely, letting those such as the angel and…"

"Dark Champion," Xavier interrupted, keeping his voice low. "It wasn't simply because of this. When you spent time with Natalie, pretending to be your brother… and then almost never left her side in Hell, you began to have feelings for her."

Stopping his work, the Dark Champion stared at the machine parts, ones not put together just yet, laying before him. "You had never met anyone so kind to you, even though you lied to them. Something that warmed your frozen heart… That is what happened. For once, you did not want to see someone suffer." Xavier smiled, in a sympathetic way, looking at the Dark Champion, who remained still.

It was true. It made too much sense, because such emotions were foreign to the Dark Champion. He would do anything for Natalie. Yet, he also knew, he couldn't be forgiven for what he had done. Lying to her, using her, and trying to pull her away from her own friends.

Even if he couldn't have her, which he knew he couldn't, the Dark Champion was going to really try to apologize to her. Someone as pure as her, should never have her trust betrayed ever again.

"Your brother would be proud, Dark Champion. I know him too well," Xavier continued, "once he is freed, he will forgive you, once he sees how much more humane you have become. You are finally understanding the balance of the world, rather than letting revenge eat you alive."

"I always was the younger brother to him, even though we were twins." The Dark Champion muttered, trying to hold back his sobbing. "I guess it was because, for years, I was always more immature. Right now, I am finally growing up, aren't I…?"

Xavier nodded, taking his leave, hoping that the real Eternal Champion would come to help his brother soon.

—

Putting the bag down while getting comfortable, the man watched in awe, seeing the characters form before his eyes. "My, this is quite unusual. Aren't you all video game characters?" He chuckled, not frightened in the slightest for some reason.

"Someone your age knows who they are?" Caela raised a brow.

"Of course I know them… Mario, Sonic, God of War, and Halo."

No one could really tell if he was listing off the names of the characters, or their series. Master Chief hoped it was latter, because he had been called "Halo", too many times in his life. "Do those things interest you or something?" Michael asked, while Bleu began to carefully open the man's bag, as if something was drawing her to it.

"Mmm, sort of, just not… Ah! Ma'am, please don't go through my—" It was too late however, as Bleu unveiled an old console from at least two generations ago. It had a gamepad attached to it, much like a Wii U, but was obviously more dated.

Bleu's hands shook a little when she saw the words "Panasonic" and "M2" on it. Words that she was deeply familiar with, her memories starting to return in heavier amounts than before. She blinked, and looked at the man. "Zis was a prototype console, ze sixth generation M2, successor to ze 3DO. How did you get your hands on it, mon amie?" She questioned, smirking in a rather cocky manner.

"Er, if I tell you, will you promise not to inform authorities?" The man asked back, being met with a slow nod from everyone. No one wanted to put up with the law anymore today, especially not Nick, who was still tired. "Very well. I am a collector of sorts, consoles that go unreleased, I am… drawn to them. Specific, original models that is. In case you had not heard, I am the one who had been taking them."

"That was you!?" Michael exclaimed.

"But why?" Natalie wondered.

"I honestly don't know. As I had said, I am drawn to them. Plus, I have to use my powers for something."

"Powers?" Arle questioned.

"You're a sorcerer, aren't you?" Kratos finally asked.

"Well, uh…"

"Wait, a sorcerer, and that style of clothes, you thinking what I'm thinking, Clank?"

"I most certainly am."

"Yeah…"

As even Nick started to catch on, the mysterious man started to panic a little. Everyone else seemed to still be clueless, but he had no idea how they would react if they knew who he was. He was thinking of making a break for it, but he couldn't make a scene when he was so close….

"Are you from Pupuru's game?" The man in surprise at Nick's question.

"You know of my daughter?"

Nearly everyone froze at that. "Your…...daughter?"

"Yes, I am Sei, father of Pupuru. It ha been a while since I have seen her, obviously, but if you know her, then I know she's alright with good friends." Some were still trying to wrap their heads around what just happened while the Lastation residents knew their need to get back got even bigger so they could inform Pupuru of their discovery.

Michael had other things on his mind. "Why is a sorcerer so interested in old technological prototypes?"

"I do not really know, as I have said, but I feel a great need to get them, as if I am being guided. I have found nearly all I have looking, except for one. It should be in this city." Bringing out a list of photos, he showed the image of the last one, which made Nick and Michael's eyes get as big as dinner plates.

" **THE ORIGINAL SONY AND NINTENDO COLLAB CONSOLE?!"**

Natalie and Caela faceplamed, waiting for those two to get into fanboy mode.

"There's one here?"

"That shouldn't be possible."

"Well, some do appear time from time."

"But here? That's just nuts."

"Yeah, collectors would pay a fortune for that."

"But what should we do? We can't just let him get it. He would probably steal it again."

Meanwhile, Natalie got closer to the bag, a puzzling look on her face. "I think we should get it."

"Huh?"

"I don't know how to describe it, but I'm sensing….something from these consoles. As if they're all part of something. If we find the last 'piece', we may know what it is."

Most were unsure. It started to sound fishy, but Natalie was the one who had the most experience in exploring the connection/source of their powers, so maybe she was on to something. Also, if there was trouble, they had some of the biggest and toughest names in gaming by their side to help.

"Well, I do not think any of you will be able to do it without me. Not to shoot you all down." Sei chuckled, not in an arrogant manner, but a cheerful way. "I have been able to track down consoles such as those because I am constantly drawn, and know the best ways to get to them. You will surely need my assistance. I assume that I come from the same world as the spectral ones before me. I promise, I won't simply just steal it. None of this is for money, after all."

"Yeah, and, uh, Sei?" Ratchet spoke.

"What is it, my boy?"

"About your daughter, uh…"

Maybe now wasn't exactly the best time to bring up her relationship with a particular colonel. Sei probably didn't want to hear that. In fact, he would probably break his cool character. "She's become very powerful." Arle cut him off, trying to cover for the lombax. "I didn't like her at first, but I started to appreciate who she was and how far she's come."

"Ah, that's nice to hear, that my daughter is making friends. She's one of the few things I can remember, I make sure to look at anything to remind me of her… so I can keep going on my collection trips. Perhaps it is the key to me seeing her again." He smiled innocently. Sei's spirits were quite high, and hard to topple. It was almost like talking to an older Birdie.

Now a new goal was in mind, since Bleu had been found. To recover the Super NES CD-ROM. Which was somewhere in this very town. What it contained, they would soon find out.

—

"The SEGA Neptune, the Bandai HET, Panasonic M2, even… the Super Nintendo CD-ROM." Histoire murmured, swallowing hard as fear was creeping up over her body. "How can this be? L.O.G had been involved with so much in our generations, even though this whole time."

Angela was mildly concerned over how Histoire was talking to herself after collecting so much information. It was past midnight, but much like her father, Angela was up and running around. She wanted to tell Histoire to go get some rest, but that would be hypocritical of her.

"Hey! Angie! You're too fast, and it's late!" Neptune called out, scooping up the child, who began giggling. "Maaan, sometimes your fast growth rate makes thing more difficult! Come on, let's— huh? Histy, are you alright?" The oracle looked over to Neptune, circles under her eyes, restless from the amount of research she had done over many things.

"Y-yes Neptune, it's just—"

"I think I heard you mention my name at one point!"

"No, Neptune, it was that one prototype console."

"Huh? Prototypes? Why you looking into that?"

"Neptune," Histoire sighed, "it's possible that in some units of cancelled consoles, that still exist in the world of those four gamers, that L.O.G put backup data inside of it."

Angela didn't understand a word of this, and Neptune wasn't sure if this discussion should be had in front of the child. "I don't get it Histy, what are the chances anyone in their world will even find those specific prototype consoles, with the backup inside of them, or whatever? We're focused on getting Sonic, Arle, Bleu and the others back home, aren't we?"

Histoire couldn't deny that. She might have been just worrying too much, which the creator of the New Game Plus revealed to her. The machine would probably be fixed, and nothing that insane could happen. Especially after everyone had just put up with Phantom God. That was that, wasn't it? But some the events were arranged so specifically too.

"Uh, Histy? I think you really need a break. You're stressing yourself too much over this. Should I ask if Minion is thawed out yet?" It was so oddly relieving to Histoire that Neptune cared. She really did take this seriously, even if Neptune acted laid back. Normally, Histoire would call her out on not being as concerned, but that's because all of it was on Histoire herself.

"Thank you, Neptune." Histoire sighed, finishing her unending hours of research for the night. "I will try to get some sleep now. Hopefully, you and Angela do the same. I do not know what the morning will hold." She said softly, flying out of the study room.

That was exactly what Neptune and Angela did as well. No point in bringing it up to Mr. Grimm, as it would only make him a bit fearful as well. It had been a long couple of days, and they had to pull through it just a bit more, so a good night's rest was definitely needed.

—

Puzzled, Toro placed a paw on his chin, having a late night discussion. "So are you giving up on searching for Pupuru's father? I'm not saying that you should, but," he mewed, "we would all prefer it if the two of you stayed with us like in the good old days."

Very rarely did Colonel Radec ever remove his gas mask, and yet, this happened to be one of those times where he did, mainly just to drink. "Unfortunately, I do not intend on turning back on my original plans, unless Pupuru herself says so. If the both of us turn around now, we may never find him. He has to be out there in some part of this world."

"Yeah, so? It's usually better if you never meet the in-laws anyway." Donte retorted, which lead to Radec nearly spitting up his drink. "Ah, still not sure about the idea of that after all. The thought didn't cross your mind, did it? That is, if you intend on—"

"I do, at the right time. This is not your business, I was having a conversation with the cat."

"Still snappy and menacing as always."

"He's the same Radec," Toro then smiled, "but also different."

Trying to ignore the both of them, Radec leaned back into the chair, sipping from the glass. "I wish there was a way we could find out where her dad went as well." Jak said, which is when Daxter chimed in next.

"Uhh, who says we can't!? In fact, we should have been helping out from the start!"

"Dax, it's Pupuru's issue—"

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't help! She's part of the All-Stars, and we all look out for each other! We've been giving her a hand against the worst, and she's helped us a lot too!"

They couldn't say that Daxter was wrong there, in fact, it was rather odd for him to say something so encouraging. Toro couldn't help but feel like he should have been trying to lend a paw, as did the others. Together, they probably could have located Pupuru's father.

"If only most of us hadn't disbanded. I still feel awful for leaving you all behind." Isaac Clarke said, shaking his head. "We're all past that though, and back together… Also, happy uh, late anniversary."

"Late anniversary?" Jak questioned.

"Oh! That's right! A couple of days ago, just before everyone came back, Playstation All-Stars had its fourth anniversary." Toro then looked down, saddened. "I actually had given up on most people coming back, because last year, only a few like you, Daniel, and some others showed up. If I knew this would happen, I would have prepared another celebration."

Sackboy, hearing this, then began to take out several party hats from his Popit Menu, along with a banner, pasting the words "Happy 4th Anniversary" on it.

"I think Sackboy here trying to tell us that there's no better time to celebrate, than right now, while everyone is here!" Fat Princess said, which Sackboy confirmed with a nod.

"I say we do it when Kratos, Ratchet, and Clank come back. It will be a surprise party for them, in a way." Isaac suggested, which made Sackboy upset for a short moment, but he understood what Isaac was getting at. It would be rather mean to leave some people out of it.

"Shouldn't you all be asleep? It's past midnight." Donte pointed out.

"I like drinking at late hours." Radec explained.

"I was chatting with Radec since he was awake."

"Can't sleep at all. Worried about Bleu." Isaac mumbled.

"I was just getting up for a midnight snack!"

"Daxter was keeping me up."

"What about you, huh, demon hunter?"

"I don't like going to bed."

"Uh huh, how rebellious of you." Daxter rolled his eyes, unimpressed.

Annoyed with the attitude he was being given, Donte merely stuck up a certain finger, then left the room. It was weird how Colonel Radec changed a bit, and Pupuru had been growing up, but Donte was still immature despite being a full-grown adult. It probably had to do with the fact even now, fans often made fun of him and Capcom had forgotten him in favor of the original Dante.

On the plus side, Donte had too much of an ego to do any of the nonsense that Phantom God was involved with. He was valued as an All-Star anyway, even if Donte was hard to get along with. Some really did appreciate him being around at times.

That was actually the whole All-Star group as a whole. Some were a bit hard to talk to, but none of them outright hated each other, despite how many arguments they may get into. They all had a purpose in the group. With Evil Cole becoming worse and worse, it actually felt like they had lost someone, even if he was just a literal clone of Cole MacGrath. Everyone hoped, that they wouldn't lose Kratos, Ratchet, and Clank in the real world either.

—

"Are you still upset?"

Wolf turned to Palutena, who was standing there. It was just like the other day, where she was bothering him. "Over what?" He growled, the only reason he was up at this hour, was to think over all of the events that happened.

"Over not being able to fight with us. The Ice Climbers didn't mind the Duck Hunt duo being in their place. Young Link has gotten friendly with Toon Link. Red's Pokémon, along with Gold's Pichu, are not upset over being left out at all because they understand the limits. Yet, you continue to be miffed about more Fire Emblem characters?"

"I wasn't even thinking about that, but thanks for reminding me." He snapped, definitely not wanting to talk to someone like Palutena right now. "I was actually thinking about Sabre, the Anglar Emperor, and what other things that had been adjusted in our time. He never existed, the Anglar Blitz never happened, top this off with Blanc requesting that my team go back to its old roots."

"Are you saying that Blanc is a bit controlling?"

"Nearly all CPUs are."

"What are you suggesting then?"

"That there needs to be someone to make this place balanced again."

"Who would that be?"

"Bleu."

Palutena was surprised, but thankful that was his response. "You were worried I would say the likes of that hideous Phantom God, or the guy I wasn't around for, weren't you? The thought of many converting to their side has frightened you, goddess. Luckily, I don't care about any of that."

Indeed, Palutena learning of the existence of such a wicked angel, and a corrupted god had gotten her thinking. Which was fine by Wolf, as she deserved to be knocked down a peg or two. "The only one who might be upset actually, is Snake."

"What?"

"He misses stuff like the codec conversations. Some fans say that his were funnier than the banter with you, Pit, and Viridi."

As Palutena grumbled in annoyance over having the tables turned on her, Wolf laughed as he took his leave. That was extremely satisfying. Wolf was definitely hoping that the return of the nosy, faux-french CPU would turn Gamindustri around. Things had been a roller coaster for about every nation, even to this very moment.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

 **Console Arrangement**

Natalie was doing some research. The fact that a console prototype was in their town didn't make sense, as it wasn't known for having any big tech companies or anything that would deal in the matter. What she found out was most surprising. "Hey guys, according to this, someone was participating in an online auction for a box containing some rare collectables from various series and stuff, and when he got it, the console was one of the things inside. He didn't know what it was so he went to get it checked out. That's why it's here on the news. He appears to still be in possession of it, though I don't know for how long. The only reason we never heard of it was because it happened when we were in their world."

Nick walked over to the screen. "Hey, I know him. He's in my part of the neighborhood. His collecting profession is geared more towards action figures though. He's probably still holding on to the console so he can sell it maybe."

Sei stood up. "Now that we know where it is, we can go get it. It should be simple to get it from one man." He turned to the door, but Nick blocked him.

"You can't just take it, for two reasons. First: obviously, that's stealing. Second: he's extremely paranoid when it comes to the safety of rare items. Who knows how many cameras and stuff he's got hidden around. But I've got a way to get it, but it'll require a great sacrifice on my part." When he was saying that last part, Nick began to slowly get more and more down, as if he was getting a sudden case of depression. They began to wonder wait he was going to do, but it was a question they felt was better left unanswered.

"Are you sure you want to do what you're thinking? You look like you don't want to."

"It's more like preparing myself. It's the best way to settle it peacefully, and what I'm planning can be easily taken care of when I'm done. You'll understand when I explain it later. But first, I have to freshen up my haggling."

Nick walked out the door before anyone could stop him. Natalie, Michael, and Caela began to wonder just what their friend was going to do.

—

Two in the morning, and still awake. The Gunstringer didn't need sleep, he was dead, and a puppet. He was one of the most restless creatures in Leanbox, besides obviously Chika when Vert wasn't around, and Stubbs when he didn't have seals slapped on him.

This was one of those nights too, to have both of those things. Perfect. Captain Smiley just had to go and rip off the talisman put on Stubbs for some good reason. He should have been kept tame for a little while longer, because the zombie was scratching at the locked door, yelling about brains. His girlfriend got in on it too.

If Reimu was here, she would be yelling at them both to shut up, slap some ofuda on Stubbs and Maggie, then call it a night. She wasn't there though, and the Gunstringer was very tempted to ask someone else for help, because if he tried something, it would probably end up… messy.

"Mr. Gunstringer?" A groggy voice mumbled.

Funnily enough, Rin was the first person who came to mind, since she carried around the talisman to begin with and put them on Stubbs before. "I can't sleep, what's that racket? Is it that one zombie again?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and dragging herself across the floor.

"Ya wanna take care of 'im? Smiley went and decided to be an idjit, removin' those paper things offa Stubbs. Now he wants out, and so does Maggie." Not responding to the Gunstringer's words, Rin unlocked the door and opened it, not batting an eyelid to the two zombies in front of her.

"BRAINS!"

Simply placing the talisman on the heads of both Stubbs and his lover, Rin gently shoved them back down the stairs, making them comically stumble down like ragdolls. The Gunstringer tried his hardest not to laugh, while Rin closed the door casually, and locked it back up.

"I'm going back to bed." Rin dragged her feet across the floor, heading back to the spare room.

"You, uh, don't need anythin' else, cherry pie?"

"No, just wanted to silence the monsters." Watching her go back into the room, the Gunstringer stood there.

Monster, that's right, or youkai. Reimu always referred to the Gunstringer as that, and that's exactly what he was. Rin's job was to rid of evil, wicked spirits. Not only was there the fact he was an undead marionette, but the fact the Gunstringer went out and killed others for revenge. The way he willingly put himself out there to kill Samael, so Rin wouldn't, he was a monster in both ways.

The Gunstringer didn't want to be a bad influence, or to let Rin do anything he would. As Sabre had said, desire for a violent revenge would only do more damage by the end of the day. There was just no way he could say he had genuine feelings, without Rin being disgusted. He only realized it now, upon watching her shoved someone just as monstrous down the stairs like they were nothing.

Rin deserves better than him. That's the only conclusion he could draw to, especially when looking at his own hands and arms.

The room was quiet, leaving him to his own thoughts. It remained that way, until just before the sun started to rise…

—

"So, you're saying I can't teleport in with a magic spell, and take it for myself?"

"No, Sei!" Arle replied, sighing in annoyance.

"Hm, well how about I use an invisibility one?"

"Poyooo!"

"I believe zat eez a 'non'."

"Teleport the console here?"

"We already ruled out teleportation!"

"Control his mind to give it to us?"

"That's-a even worse!"

"Run real fast?"

"I can do that, but I won't."

Sei was trying to get out of the building and get the console, but everyone was blocking him, not allowing him the chance to do any of his usual methods of procuring the consoles as before. He wasn't even able to use his spells on them, as there were too many. "Okay, then how about this? I stay here, and one of you use your ghost state to - "

"I'm back!" Nick walked in the door, holding a bag, and looking a little bummed out. He put the bag on the table before sitting down. Michael went to look in the bag, and with an extreme look of shock, he pulled out the SNES CD-Rom, handling it like it was the Holy Grail.

"H-h-h-how - ?"

"Simple. He was a collector, so I made a trade. And that was the sacrifice." He head immediately went down. "I had to trade all of my best Playstation action figures to get it. Figures of Kratos, Nathan Drake, Sweet Tooth, Nariko, Solid Snake, Crash Bandicoot, Dart, and so much more. I can always just replace the figures eventually, but it was still tough and a little heartbreaking to part with them in such a manner after working so hard to get them." Natalie went over to pat him on the shoulder to try and give some comfort. She knew she would feel the same if she ever parted with her Sonic plushie. Not that anyone knew about it, it was one of her closest secrets. If the others knew about it, she would never hear the end of it.

"Or, I could steal them back for you - oomph!" Sei felt himself being jabbed by Birdie, who didn't seem as amused by the idea.

"Really, dude? Even Sly has self-restraint, and his whole family is about stealing." Nick got up to get Sei's bag. "But now that you have all of these things, what now? Is there a second stage to this 'master plan', or was this just for giggles?"

"Well, there is one more thing I have to do. I can't quite recall the full details, but I need to put these consoles in a specific layout to reveal a hidden plan or something. But I'll need a large area. I can't do it here in this room."

"There's always the park." Sei turned to Natalie. "There's plenty of room there. And there's not as many people at this time of day. So you can do what you have to in peace, and we can keep an eye on you much easier."

"Do you really still not trust me?"

"Not exactly, but needing to go outside after you got what you came for does sound a bit suspicious."

"Fine. You can follow, but I am telling the truth."

Everyone got up and ready to move. They didn't know what was going to happen, but they were ready for anything, including a fight.

—

"It's complete! COMPLEEEEEETE!" Dr. Nefarious cackled, stepping back from the machine. The Dark Champion didn't hesitate at all to activate it, while everyone else started to wake up. Mr. Grimm groaned when he heard him from all the way over in Neptune's room, getting up with many to see the accomplished machine.

"We need to hurry, and get Natalie back!" The Dark Champion exclaimed, setting the coordinates, to where the normal world was. "Please, please let this connect… yes!" The portal began to open up, revealing a park, where everyone was.

"Come on let's go - oof!" The Dark Champion was pulled back by Xavier.

"You shouldn't be so reckless. We don't know what will happen, or even if they are the only ones from our world in theirs. We must wait for the others to show, as well as assess the situation." The Dark Champion calmed down a bit, knowing Xavier was right. All they could do was watch the portal's condition and make sure that the others weren't in any harm.

Mr. Grimm went to get the All-Stars, already on his way with his motorcycle. Nepgear asked NiGHTS to fly and spread the word to the Smash Bros. Neptune sent Akira to get the Xbox characters, while getting Histoire to let her know of the good news. Still a bit sleepy, Histoire flew to the portal, looking at the scene for about ten seconds before screaming, making everyone jump.

"Histy! What is it?" Neptune held onto Histoire, trying to calm her down.

"Those consoles, if they are the ones from the book… we are all in grave danger! They don't know what they're doing!" Due to the shock and her exhaustion, Histoire fainted before revealing any more information. Things started to look grim. Even Neptune was starting to feel worried. She hoped that everyone would get here soon, before it was too late.

—

All the prototype consoles. They a pain for everyone to carry to the park, but they were lined up perfectly. "Hmm… I'm remembering something about this, like there's some sort of energy reaction." Sei said, examining all of the consoles.

"Sei, were you warped to this-a world in the same way Birdie was?" Mario asked.

"Or Bleu?" Ratchet wondered

"Er, what would that be like?"

"Birdie was spirited away by someone after being forgotten, and I think I know who did it." Reimu grumbled.

"Bleu sacrificed herself to the power of the New Game Plus." Kratos explained.

There was a long pause, while Sei finished arranging everything to be almost like a pentagram. "New Game Plus… why does that sound familiar to me? In the same way that these consoles are." It was almost nighttime, so no one was looking around much to see the odd arrangement, thankfully. "I do not think I have come in contact with such, and yet at the same time, it feels as if somehow I had heard of it at one point."

Without him paying much attention, the consoles began to shake, along with the ground. Everyone gasped as the unusual reaction, especially when specks of the New Game Plus began coming out of the ten characters that were present, along with Bleu.

"STOP!" Purple Heart shouted, coming out of the portal, and appearing to be ghost-like, followed by many others. "Separate them! You have no idea what you're doing!" She continued, pointing her sword as the other CPUs joined her. Even Noire and Uni, who had recovered a great deal.

"Neptune?" Natalie didn't understand what was going on, and neither did anyone else, but they sounded serious. Birdie attempted to try and move one of the consoles, hoping to try and stop what was happening, but he ended up burning his hand instead, forcing him to not attempt that again.

Two lights began coming out of the consoles. One dark green, and one a pinkish-violet. The moment they began forming a vortex, far above the clouds.

The whole area turned grey. The sky, grass, trees, water. Nearly all life, had become still, frozen in time, and their colors sucked away by the vortex.

All except for those standing there.

"We… were too late." Green Heart said.

"Like, now what!?" Pink Heart snapped.

"You guys didn't even give me a chance to transform!" Pipin whined.

"There's not much we can do. Our actions are limited in this form!" Black Heart pointed out.

"What's going on here!? Will you explain it to us already!?" Michael shouted, having just about enough of things being hidden, and no one knowing what exactly was the truth behind it all. No one even noticed that Sei, being drawn to it, was already running off without them, to confront whatever beings had just come out of the vortex.

"Michael, lemme put it bluntly, that New Game Plus? Was made by a complete bast—"

"Language, Blanc." Purple Heart interrupted.

"Ugh, fine! Some really awful person who deserved to die and burn without anyway to return!"

"He also put his backup data, into those prototypes." Swanson explained further.

"Ze Lord of Games." Bleu answered, her memories all recovered. "To think he would touch my M2 prototype, and use zem in ze real world. He must not know when to stop." Caela was the most shocked out of everyone there. Natalie, Nick, and Michael were confused, while the present game characters besides Birdie, were mortified.

"L.O.G? No way! He helped Banjo and Kazooie in Nuts & Bolts, that's who you're talking about, right?" Bleu nodded, as did the CPUs. "That can't be right at all, unless… That one concept art of him looking villainous, using Banjo and Grunty as puppets—"

"That was his true form. He used Banjo, Grunty, and everyone." Master Chief answered, Caela looking like she had been just betrayed, without being aware of it for the longest time. "He drained the power of the CPUs, eliminated the data of Jack Walters with a powerful serum, and rounded up several villains to strike us. No different than Phantom God and Samael."

"I wouldn't be surprised if this was Samael's real goal this whole time." Reimu narrowed her eyes angrily, remembering what had happened a couple of years ago. "He had mentioned being connected with that fiend, after all. He must have known that L.O.G would return!"

"Wait, where did Sei go?" Sonic wondered, everyone began darting their eyes around the area, trying to figure out where he had gone.

Spotting him, Kirby pointed over to a building, where the sorcerer was running off to. One that was most likely several stories high. "Poyo!" He exclaimed, going after Sei without thinking about it.

"The hell is he doing!?" White Heart spat.

"I-it's like he's trying to get closer to that vortex." Pink Sister stammered.

"That dummy! We need to stop him!" White Sister Ram yelled, as everyone began to pursue Sei.

—

Histoire woke up, to her horror, realizing that it was too late to stop them. Her fears had come together, as evident by the real world turning gray, along with the colorful vortex above it all. She was speechless, still feeling faint, and wanting to believe it was all just a horrible nightmare.

"He… no, they, are both back." She murmured, wings trembling along with the rest of her small body. "W-where's Neptune? N-Nepgear? Mr. Grimm?" Histoire couldn't stop stammering either. The most Xavier could do was try to calm the oracle, while Bahn distracted Angela, not wanting the child to witness this, and the Dark Champion remained to watch the scene.

"Neptune and her sister are dealing with what's going on—"

"No! Xavier, they were surely perish!"

"Their forms can change from solid to phantom-like."

"But the moment they become solid, they will be vulnerable! They can't use that much energy! I looked into it!"

"This is true," Rez said, "those made of of data that go through the machine's portal, have to cut back on their physical form. Otherwise, they are bound to lose nearly all memory they had. It's either mind, or body that must be sacrificed."

Dr. Eggman and Nefarious both couldn't help but find that rather stupid. "What's the point then!? Ye couldn't pour research into havin' both over there!?" Scervo snapped.

Mars then breathed in, despite being a robot, before speaking. "Boi, you blew it!" Orbot visibly cringed when Mars began talking, hoping that someone would turn her off.

"In our initial plan, our brains mattered more than physical form, you—!"

"Whatever you say, normie." Mars chirped, making Rez seriously want to tear her apart.

No one could believe that this was the same robot who helped take out Lumine, and even pulled Mercury's hardware out of him. It felt like they were talking to a completely different character. "Mr. Grimm, NiGHTS, and Akira better hurry up with bringing everyone here. Looks like we're going to need help." Bahn mumbled, as Angela was climbing on him, and pulled his hat off, just so she could wear it.

—

Scaling the building, not even bothering to take the elevator that wasn't functioning because of time being put at a stop, Sei began going up flights of stairs. He didn't say a word when the others were calling out to him. There was some sort of desire in him, to find the truth, and also a sense of something familiar.

The voices of many were nothing but white noise in comparison to the amount of questions filling Sei's head. He didn't know what to do, other than find the answer, if he could get a closer look at that vortex. Hopefully it didn't try to suck away his life or anything such as that.

"Sei, what are you doing even?" Sonic said to himself, knowing that calling out to him was hopeless. They could all try to stop him, but chances are Sei would shove them away. He already did that when Reimu attempted to block his path and became solid.

He just simply didn't care. The truth behind everything mattered the most.

He wasn't the only one who wanted the truth. The gamers were asking all sorts of questions of what exactly the Lord Of Games did to the world of Gamindustri to earn such hatred. And they weren't liking what they were hearing.

"He tried to reboot everyone?"

"Absorbing the CPUs to get their power?"

"Even kill a child before it was born?"

"Unforgivable."

Caela was in a little bit of shock from the story, Michael and Natalie were freaked out, and Nick was just plain mad. "It gets even worse." Green Heart spoke up. "He also pushed Madotsuki with her nightmares and such into wanting to be deleted. If it wasn't for Walter's sacrifice, she would have perished." They couldn't believe it. Such a sadistic being was at the top of the video game world, yet was really one of its worst criminals, planning to change everything they loved into his own, twisted image.

"And know you're saying there's chance that he's coming back?!" Nick was starting to lose it. After nearly losing his life to help prevent Gamindustri from being overrun, only to learn there's a much bigger threat right around the corner, he wasn't taking it very well. He turned and started after Sei. "We have to stop that maniac now!" Natalie rushed after him, not wanting to see him die a second time.

Reaching the top of the building, Sei finally halted when he swung the door open. There was not one, but two figures standing there. One with the dark-green aura, looking like a plank of wood with puffy pants, wearing a smock, holding a marionette of a certain brown bear, and had a board for a head.

Caela recognized it as L.O.G's beta design, while everyone else knew him when he became the "God of Games". It was his true form, underneath the monitor, and then inside of a dice block. What was more troubling to everyone though, was the figure standing alongside him.

Tall, having dark-pink, feathery hair mixed in with wires that were black. Her head was almost doll-like, all of her features painted on, with black beady eyes that seemed empty. She wore a puffy, elegant blue dress, that had a smock on the front of it, much like her companion.

Her head snapped as it turned around. The CPUs felt their stomachs drop at the very sight of her. "It's been a long, long time." She hissed, without opening her mouth, words coming out as if they were from some kind of tape recorder.

It wasn't just the Lord of Games they had to worry about.

But the Lady of Games, was now in their presence.


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

 **They're Back**

"I remembered when you killed me, CPUs. It was my idea actually, to do things such as backup data, and creating the New Game Plus. The Lord of Games did not come up with such a concept on his own." The Lady of Games muttered in a haunting, whispering tone. One that sent chills down the spines of nearly all the CPUs. "I knew you would do me in. I knew my husband would want to get back at you. I figured many things ahead of time, so L.O.G made things that he thought would benefit you all at first."

"Why, Sei," the Lord— no, God of Games, spoke. "It has been a while. You had fallen into my trap, and you dragged everyone else into the mess you have made? How perfect, it went better than expected!"

"Now I recall everything." Sei glared at the two deities, holding up his walking stick. "I was tasked by someone suspicious of your actions to go and find out who you really were. I ended up having to part ways with my family, especially once you had figured out I was on your tail, and managed to send me to this world with the projects you had been working on!"

"Your daughter has no idea what happened. How sad." The God of Games laughed, tangling the strings of the marionette in his hands. "If you had not been so nosy, you could have protected your daughter from all the things that had happened to her. But following a friend's request to expose who I am somehow meant more to you? Pathetic." Sei winced at his words, as if they physically hurt him.

"Protect her from… what has happened?"

"Lusted for by a prince from Hell, attacked by a horrible necromancer, nearly left for dead—"

"Shut up!" Arle snapped, mainly bothered at the mention of that second one. "Most of those things happened because of you!"

"What are you up to this time!?" Mario shouted, getting into a fighting stance. "Is this-a world going to be your next paradise for whatever you want to happen? Like you tried to do with Gamindustri?" Kirby and Sonic joined in on trying to look tough, even if they were unsure about the circumstances.

The God of Games smiled, his grin being crooked. "Of course not. These are all consumers. I am just pausing all that moves. The exception being, those who had been in Gamindustri… I'm surprised to see that four humans, from this very world, had fallen into Gamindustri. Though, I have missed a lot, haven't I? Bleu losing her memories and coming here is fairly amusing."

After fooling around with the marionette, the God of Games began to pull at the strings instead, which made Caela and Michael flinch. "Enough chatter though. I would normally be at disadvantage, with the CPUs all here. However, with my wife at my side…" the limbs of the marionette were being pulled apart, looking rather painful, even though it was just a puppet of the brown bear. "And none of them in proper form besides Bleu, what am I left with? Four pesky gamers, and two characters tossed into this world for different reasons."

"You know, I for one, am not completely surprised you're a villain." Michael said, looking more and more ticked off. "I shifted the blame on Microsoft this whole time for Nuts & Bolts being the way it was, even though you were pretty much the in-game reason for the shift in gameplay. That combined with your condescending attitude. But I never thought you were really that awful on the inside, nor did I know about your ugly beta form right here." The God of Games could only start laughing again when he said that.

"Boohoo, I ruined your precious third Banjo game, even though you could easily go back and play the first two. I can't help I wished to trash their series, so games could evolve. I'm still pushing for an equal world, just like how things used to be."

The Lady of Games spoke up next, her voice just as chilling as before. "A single entity, above Gamindustri, with one giant share… taking in all of the faith, growing in power. No one has to argue. Isn't that a world you would want? One with no actual Console Wars? A free world?"

"No!" Natalie snapped, which surprised her friends. "Sometimes, debates are fun. Yes, some go a bit too far, but competition is what they probably rely on! Also, if a free world is run by a couple as horrible as you two, then I would rather let Gamindustri have CPUs that quarrel with each other. They're certainly less destructive than you are, killing and using others for the sake of it!"

"Even after what happened to Bleu?" The God of Games questioned.

"For one who wishes for evolution, you do not seem to realize zat we all matured as well. Only you wish for war against us at this point in time. I would say, you are a— how you say, hypocrite?" Bleu smirked, causing the Lady of Games to strike her with a cord-like arm.

Before the Lady of Games could attempt to kill however, Purple Heart made herself solid for a split moment to cut away the arm. However, this only made it worse, as more, smaller cords came out from the end that was sliced off. "With the amount of data powering us, my husband and I can regenerate our power. You are at a heavy disadvantage, CPUs."

Not able to believe what they were hearing, no one was sure what to do. Their own lives were all at risk now, and they couldn't simply surrender to the God of Games and his wife. That would only give them what they wanted: Gamindustri itself, and the CPUs having a humiliating defeat, before the fight could really begin.

Was there a way to hold them off…?

Nick's head was reeling from what was happening. No matter how they looked at it, the enemy had all the advantages. He started turning around when he noticed that the portal was still open, and saw something peculiar. He made some subtle signals to Michael and Caela to try and keep them talking while he got Natalie to the side and pointed to the portal. "Do you see something interesting?"

After being a power source for it and using it to heal her friend, Natalie was the one most sensitive to New Game Plus energy, so her eyes were better at seeing what Nick was pointing out. And what she saw was streams of it coming out of the portal in some form of data, connecting to the CPUs and the characters. But it was weak, just enough to keep them here, and was obviously strained when anyone tried anything. Natalie relayed the info to Nick, who started to form a plan.

Caela and Michael's attempt to stall only got the Lady of Games annoyed, and she launched an attack, using the extra wires to her advantage. Everyone was scrambling, mostly to defend, and they can't attack without the risk of disappearing. The running made it easier for Nick to get things started. Telling the plan to Sonic, he sent him to relay it quickly to those needed, while he and Natalie grabbed their friends.

Sonic's first stop was Kratos, who was tasked with using his arrows to blind the God and Lady of Games. Then was Arle and Master Chief, who were told to go to the gamers' position. There, they got the next step. "Arle, we need an ice slide. Master Chief, we need a shield." Master Chief brought up an energy shield while Arle made a slide that ended right at the portal.

"You aren't thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

Michael was not reassured by Nick's smiling face. "Yep! GERONIMOOOOOOOO!"

Nick went down the slide, posing a little when he did. Michael was wasting so much time contemplating his madness that Natalie and Caela pushed him before they followed suit, right before the spot they were exploded. The God of Games used himself as a shield against Kratos's arrows, allowing the Lady to try to stop the gamers from fleeing. She failed, thanks to Master Chief's shield, but he was nearly spent because of it. Luckily he went back to ghost form before any retaliation could be had, but none of them were out of the woods yet.

Landing at the portal, Nick was able to get a clearer look at the data streams. "I knew it, they're still getting energy from Gamindustri, just not enough. If we concentrate, we can might be able to expand it and let a lot more energy get through, allowing them to fight." Some weren't so sure, but there was no time to debate. Putting their hands together, they once again combined their thoughts and feelings to unleash the power they have.

" **UNITY!"**

Thankfully, being so close to the portal made them able to call on their powers again, once again forming the wavelength that made the portal in the first place. The effects were realized in a few seconds.

The God of Games was having too much fun, toying with the CPUs and characters was highly amusing. Targeting Bleu and Birdie just to make them vulnerable was too much for him, has he never understood concepts such as compassion and loyalty, seeing it as weakness. He was so absorbed in his tormenting that he didn't see the Nemean Cestus coming at him.

 **WHAM!**

Blown back to the other side of the roof, he was surprised to see Kratos standing fully powered, and everyone else as well. They were solid without losing any power, and looking to the side, he saw why, and strangely appeared to be more enjoyed.

"Ha ha! I was wondering how we would have to go back, but there is the answer! And with you all now actually able to fight, this has become a most welcome game! Our goal is to get to the portal, your goal is to stop us. And before you ask, there will be no interference to the four gamers, as it would lead to our mutual disadvantage."

The CPUs, characters, Bleu, and Birdie weren't interested in a game, but they were more than ready for a fight. And as the portal got more powerful, Bleu and Birdie actually began to feel their powers and abilities return, smiling to the fact that they could now land in a shot.

But before a move could be made, the God of Games turned to Sei. "I almost forgot, there was a secondary program put in you that would allow us to get back to our full power just like that, with chances of survival at about 5%. And those are your chances, by the way."

God and Lady of Games raised their hands, pulling power from Sei, making his whole body lose its color bit by bit. In a few seconds, Sei collapsed as the Lord and Lady radiated in power. Looking at Sei, the God of Games seemed to smirk. "Still alive. Impressive. Let's fix that." He raised his hand, ready to finish him off. And none of the heroes would be able to stop him in time.

"FATHER!"

Sei couldn't believe the voice he was hearing just now, just when he thought his days were over, after remembering everything that happened…

The God of Games and Sei looked up, seeing Colonel Radec using his StA-X6 Jetpack, Pupuru holding onto him as he fired at the God of Games. Chipping away at his head, the God of Games was flung back once again, only to for his head to start regenerating.

"Now, how did you get… here?" The God of Games looked down at the portal again, seeing several characters start to pour in, without having to worry about being powered down.

Luigi, Peach, Rosalina, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, Bowser, his son, and all of the Koopalings poured in, wanting to see Mario again. Even if in the case of the latter four, though he was their enemy. Meta-Knight and King Dedede tried to fly and float up respectively to reach Kirby. Sabre pointed his sword, leading the Smashers to the building.

Sweet Tooth rushed out of the portal along with Scorpion and Sackboy, looking up just to see if Kratos was alright. Dr. Nefarious flew in soon after, preparing himself for the menace that once tore him to pieces. He was followed by just about nearly all of the Playstation All-Stars, including P-Man and Madi.

Banjo and Kazooie flew in, dreading the fact that their false friend had been brought back from the dead. Glacius and Kasumi were concerned about Master Chief and Reimu's safety, while Rin couldn't help but notice that the entire time, the Gunstringer looked depressed for some reason a while ago, but seemed more determined now. Madotsuki kept holding on to Jack Walters, both of them equally upset by what they were seeing.

Nearly all of Planeptune's mascots were there. NiGHTS was first to act, flying all the way up to the building, just to reach Sonic and Arle, hoping they were alright. Even Dr. Eggman, Mars, Metal Sonic, Tails and Knuckles were there. "I hope those Smash characters brought a Smash Ball, because I don't have any Chaos Emeralds, and I didn't drag Sonic's friends into this for nothing." Eggman said to himself.

The worst part was, that wasn't the end of it. Out of the portal also came Satan, Gabriel, Uriel, Yukari Yakumo… and to kick it all off, Gregg the Grim Reaper, carrying a rocket launcher.

"You just couldn't stay bloody dead, could you?" The short reaper spoke in a comically squeaky, childish voice. "Make my job harder by having that friend of yours from Makai come and freeze us… Piss off for good this time!" He snapped, firing the rocket launcher at the God of Games.

Conker noticed his vulgar language right away, and looked over to Gregg. "Holy… Gregg? Is that you? You're alright!?" The launch made impact with the God of Games, blowing off part of his board head.

"Of course I'm bloody alright, squirrel! This one came and thawed us out!" Gesturing to Uriel, Conker noticed how he had bandages around his hands, indicating that a lot of damage to them was done, just to free those Samael had frozen. "The one-eyed angel over there then told us to meet up with El Diablo, and now here we are. Bloody hell… how did it all spiral into this!?"

"Listen, the both of you can ask questions later, this isn't the time." Vince pointed out to them, in which they agreed, knowing that it was a bit of a dire situation, especially when Gregg took note of the God of Games recovering right on the spot. "Oh great, he's got regeneration. Got anymore tricks, Death Jr.? Like asking your friend to open up a box?"

"Wrong bloody reaper, you twit! I'm Gregg!"

They were all soon met with a blast of powerful energy from the God of Games. The only thing preventing it from hitting them being Yukari, who opened a gap to take in the blast. She then opened another one, to try and send it back at the Lady of Games. "Huh, well this one likes to think with portals." Conker joked.

When the Lady of Games saw it coming for her, she dodged the blast elegantly, then glared at her husband, who was more focused on the CPUs. Especially now that Pipin and Swanson finally transformed into their HDD forms. Hair turning a white-blue color and growing out a bit, Pipin becoming a bit taller, both of them forming impractical bodysuits that matched the consoles they represented. "Opal Heart and Opal Brother, transformation, complete!" Pipin announced, carrying a small, futuristic wand.

"The fact the likes of you were revived is… questionable. You couldn't even hold up your own nation, Pipin. What makes you believe you can stand against my wife and I— urk!" The God of Games was yanked back by his companion. Her stare was blank as always, making her impossible to read, but she was angry.

"Watch where you are attacking. You are becoming careless."

"M-my love, we are invincible—"

"That does not mean you can be cocky." Using her cord-like arms, the Lady of Games twisted her husband's arm, almost breaking it, to show that she was serious.

Mario and Kratos just watched as that just happened. It definitely raised some questions as to what exactly the relationship between those two was like when others were not around. The Lady of Games being the more dominant of the two was not expected for them, though it did paint a new picture on the God of Games.

"Perhaps targeting characters is the incorrect move, darling. They might intentionally harm themselves instead, if we aim for something else."

"You mean the portal and those four gamers?"

"No." The Lady of Games then pointed over to the amount of objects and people, frozen in time.

"But, those are—"

"If you could make sacrifices, and betray others for me, then you will follow my actions, darling."

"Yes, of course."

As much as Mario wanted to question their relation even more now, there was a bigger issue at hand. The God and Lady of Games were targeting people of the real world, along with several vehicles. That was something no one could allow.

The Lady of Games jumped off the building, and began floating away from the scene. The God of Games thought it would be in his best interests to follow his wife, though the CPUs trying to land a hit on him made that quite a difficult task. He had to blast Pink Heart and Sister out of the way before he could move anywhere.

"Bleu! Why aren't you transforming!? You have your memories back!" Ratchet snapped.

"Zat eez true, but I lost my handguns when coming to zis world. How am I supposed to fend him off?"

Ratchet would have argued that point, but Bleu wasn't wrong. Reimu was first to remember how the Gunstringer was able to handle Bayonetta's handguns just fine, and wondered if Bleu would be able to wield those, even if she transformed. "Let's-a hurry so we can regroup with everyone else, and stop those two!" Mario shouted, jumping off the building with Kirby, then grabbing onto the puffball's feet so they could float for a safe landing.

Everyone else simply took the icy slide that lead to the portal, but made sure to get off, hoping to not get in the way of the gamers. "Where are those two even—" Sonic's question was answered by witnessing the Lady of Games prepare to strike a person frozen in time, that was blocking her way.

"Targeting innocent bystanders? Is she mad!?" Snake exclaimed.

"I would assume yes, she is." Mewtwo replied, watching Pit fly over.

"Pit! What are you doing!?" Palutena called out to him, watching the angel fly over to the man standing there.

Grabbing onto the bystander, Pit flew a short distance, the both of them narrowly escaping the blast. Pit sighed in relief, putting the man back onto his feet. "Hopefully this guy isn't weirded out being in a different spot when this place is restored to normal." He said to himself, completely ignoring the Lady of Games moving on towards a bus.

She began aiming for that next, only to have Glacius materialize near it, and take the hit instead, nearly absorbing it. "Glacius!" Baldur shouted, the Lady of Games merely chuckled at the alien's self-endangerment, moving on, without a single care in the world. The attack wasn't fatal by any means, and Glacius wasn't wounded, but he still looked as if he had the wind knocked out of his body.

"You! Lazy gap hag!" Gregg yelled, pointing at Yukari. "You can make those bloody portals, and manipulate boundaries! Why aren't you doing anything, like making that horrible couple disappear!? Or decapitate them in some way? Anything to stop them!?"

"Those two are beyond my power level currently. If I did something such as that, they would crawl back out somehow, or just grow their heads back with that unusual ability they gained. Believe it or not, even I have my limits, and have lost in fights." Yukari explained, her expression not being the usually smug one, but rather, seemed irritated. Not by Gregg, but by the situation at hand.

Making her way over to a large memorial, the Lady of Games was blocked off by several characters. "I don't care if you're invincible, we're going to find your weakness!" Corrin declared, trying to sound heroic.

The Lady of Games responded by firing multiple blasts, made up of data, at those standing before her. Corrin, Mega Man, Little Mac, and Falco avoided it. "Missed us! Your aim is just as bad as Slippy's!" Falco taunted, who readied his Reflector.

"Maybe so," the Lady of Games aimed at a familiar, giant statue inside of the memorial, "I will not miss this time however."

"Oh no!" Mega Man shouted, running towards the statue. "She's gonna blast President Lincoln!" Without thinking, he jumped in front of the statue, taking the blast, and then falling to the ground, weakened.

"Rock!" Arle cried.

"Guu!"

"What the— Mega kid, why did you risk yourself for a statue!?" Falco spat.

"Some things never change…" Little Mac muttered, not seeing the other boxer run up to him along with Arle and Carbuncle.

"If you're willing to get hit for a mere statue, then I would like to see how the rest handle this." The Lady of Games raise her hands, forcing comets of data to come crashing down slowly, threatening everything frozen in time. "Good luck to all of you." Snapping her fingers, she then vanished from the scene.

"How did she… where did she…!?" Little Mac began looking around, and Arle helped Mega Man back up, but Carbuncle instantly started to fire a laser at one of the comets, which caught everyone else's attention.

Corrin also tried to take on one of the comets, and Falco fired his blaster at it. Yukari created a couple of gaps to swallow some, while Conker and Gregg tried blowing them up. Others with firearms attempted to do the same.

"Bayonetta, we need those guns of yours!" Reimu shouted, before realizing a comet was about to fall down on a frozen person, then tried to launch a yin-yang orb at it. The witch looked at her, rather amused by the shrine maiden's demand.

"I find humor in the idea of a shrine maiden such as yourself wielding them, but unlike that puppet, I don't think you're—"

"No, not me!" Reimu then pointed at Bleu. "She needs handguns!"

"Well now, that's something more reasonable. The CPU known as Blue Heart, holding Love is Blue. I don't like parting with my weapons for too long, but in her case?" Rushing over to the defenseless CPU, Bayonetta removed the guns attached to her heels, then handed them over to Bleu. "Use them well, Bleu. I'm sure someone as proper such as you definitely knows how to." Although at first she was puzzled, Bleu instantly got the message, and couldn't help but look at the guns for a short moment.

"I quite like ze design and coloring. I wonder how zey will look upon transformation, if I can activate HDD." Giggling, Bleu attempted it, knowing well that she had people who had quite a lot of faith in her right now. A bright glow surrounded her body, her hair becoming undone and turning red, then it faded.

The pair of handguns had turned into golden, futuristic revolvers, retaining the black and green gemstones that were inside them prior. Bayonetta was impressed, to say the least. "Hm, I'm almost jealous now. Perhaps I should look into any revolvers made by Rodin." Bayonetta joked, as Blue Heart stood there, tall and proud, in her "Aquaria Core" after a couple of years.

"It… feels good to be in this body again." Opening her yellow eyes and actual personality coming out, Blue Heart pointed the revolvers at one of the comets in an instant, then began firing, causing it to explode into particles.

Despite the hefty advantage of nearly every CPU being around, some characters ended up taking a hit from the many comets, if only just to make sure none of the frozen bystanders, vehicles, or buildings were harmed. Their attention became so clouded by this, that they did not see the Lady of Games reappear next to her husband, who was approaching the portals.

And getting close to the four gamers, to make matters worse.

"Hello again, gamers." The God of Games greeted, startling Caela in particular. They had all been focusing on powering the portal, and discussing other possible plans to get rid of the invincibility, that they didn't think that the couple would finally manage to reach the portal, considering how many characters were in the way. "You really expected us to be held back for so long? My lady created a wonderful distraction, didn't she?"

All four of them began to get the chills from being near the horrible couple. They could try to unite their powers again, but they weren't sure due to how much power they had already used on the portal.

Was this it? Would they be killed without any mercy?

Instead, they were picked up and thrown into the portal, followed by the God and Lady. Before anyone could notice and give chase, the portal closed, restoring the normal of time in the outside world, but leaving everyone trapped and powerless.

"Oh no…."

"This is not good."

"Is there even anyone left back in our world?"

"There are a few…"

"They're dead."

Everyone was trying to bring up some hope, but it kept getting put down by feelings of dread. With the main sources of the portal out of their reach, they had no way of currently going home.

Rez, Histoire, and the Dark Champion all hid as soon as they saw the God and Lady appear. Rez stayed behind to maintain the portal, Histoire was still too weak to go anywhere, and the Dark Champion, surprisingly, didn't go because he didn't know how to face Natalie. But now he couldn't help but see her, after she and her friends were thrown to the ground before the Lord of Games smashed the portal generator in one blow.

"Oooooooooow"

"No….everyone…."

"They're trapped."

"And our troubles are just beginning."

The Lady pointed at the gamers, hovering above them. "Why did we bring these things in with us? Why didn't we just kill them?"

"Simple, my dear." The God of Games gestured to the four. "They have a unique energy that comes right out of their bodies. They will make an excellent power source! Which might be useful in bringing back some old friends."

The gamers didn't know what he meant by that last part, but they knew they were in trouble. They spent too much power with the portal and they knew these maniacs wouldn't give them time to recharge. And to make matters worse, the God and Lady were able to regulate the energy of their hands and tendrils, allowing them to grab the gamers even when they were in ghost form. As they flew away, Rez and the others came out of hiding.

"Great. Without Nefarious and Eggman, it'll take even longer to fix this thing."

"And with everyone in another world, there'll be no one to stop them."

"And they've got Natalie and the others completely powerless! What are we going to do?"

"Well, I'm going to fix the portal. We're going to need the others back. Even the lizard, as much as I hate to admit it."

"I'll try to see where they could have gone. I'll check the records of all his places of operation."

"I'll inform the other landmasses, see what I support I can get."

They split up, each with determination on their face. They wouldn't deny that they were scared, but they will do what they can to prevent another potential gamepocalypse.


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

 **Ready for the Last Standoff**

The realization that their only escape was gone, along with the gamers vanishing with the God and Lady of Games, hit everyone hard. They noticed it when they were no longer solid, therefore, had to start using up their own energy again. The exception being Bleu, Birdie, and Sei.

Blue Heart was already still on the task of eliminating comets, and Sei was using whatever magic he could. Birdie could not do a thing, and felt bad about it. "If only I wasn't so… normal. Then I could probably punch back one of these stupid data rocks!"

"There's no reason in not trying!" Little Mac replied, startling Birdie.

"Wha…"

"I didn't forget who you are, successor. So believe in me right now! When something looks dangerous, that's when it's most vulnerable!"

"I… don't get it." Birdie replied.

Perhaps Birdie's expectations of the world were too realistic, despite being from Gamindustri, not that Little Mac could blame him. The CPUs, minus Bleu, had all gotten tired out from making themselves solid, while trying to stop the comets. Sonic broke a Smash Ball that Pac-Man brought in, becoming Super Sonic, with Tails and Knuckles joining him like in their battle against Neo Metal Sonic. But as expected, their stamina ran out as well when the portal vanished.

Even Dr. Nefarious, Metal Sonic and Mars, despite being robots, could not keep themselves going. If they did, they would probably run out of battery and shut down. Yukari couldn't keep opening gaps, and started to take a power nap after becoming ghost-like, much to the annoyance of Satan and Gregg. But they could not do much either.

"No… we can't stop! If we all do that now, then the lives of innocents will be at risk!" Sabre exclaimed, while Blue Heart stared straight up at the vortex, which is where the never-ending comets came from. Without warning anyone, she began flying up towards it.

"Bleu!? Like, what are you doing!?" Pink Heart yelled.

"We just got you back!" Opal Heart cried.

"Do not sacrifice yourself again, Bleu!" Purple Heart shouted, tempted to go after her, but stopped by Mr. Grimm and Purple Sister.

The only ones still using up whatever energy they had were P-Man and Rin Satsuki. Madi and Sabre were unable to do much, since they would no doubt harm themselves, having no proper way of eliminating the comets from a distance. However, P-Man wasn't able to put up with it for much longer, his energy fading, and having to give in.

"I cannot… continue any longer I'm afraid. It has worn me out too much."

"You did the best you could." Madi replied. "I do not think there is much that anyone can do."

"But we can't stop! People are in danger, like Sabre said!" Fox pointed out.

"Rin!" Cooper called out, noticing that she was still there. "You'll hurt yourself, pull back already!"

Ignoring him, Rin continued trying to nuke the comets with the few bombs she had, even managing to save not only the frozen bystanders, but Voodoo Vince, who didn't see a comet nearly about to hit him earlier, before the portal had disappeared.

Now though, she was getting tired, unable to fly around and on her last bomb. Standing in front of a handful of comets, one coming her way. "Wind… Sign…!" Rin panted, trying to call out the name of her spell, but the comet came closer to her with each passing second. There wasn't any way this could end well, her consciousness was slipping, but Rin didn't know when to back off. Especially with the lives that needed to be saved.

"Divine… Bre…"

She blacked out.

—

"What are ye babblin' about!? Get the doc back already!" Scervo yelled, as Rez attempted repair the machine.

"It is more difficult than usual to do so, and none of you metal morons are of use!"

"It's not our fault that Nefarious prefers to do things himself." Clunk mumbled.

"Is Dr. Nefarious not coming back?" Dreadfuse asked.

"Unfortunately, I would be job-hunting if he did not return. So I actually hope he does." Lawrence replied.

Orbot and Cubot weren't of any use in this case either, Rez didn't know who else could help him, it seemed as if everyone was now stuck in the real world. Rez almost wanted to give up, and destroy the machine completely until nothing was left, out of sheer frustration.

"Buh! Buh huh huh huh! Do you need a hand there, cyborg guy?" Rez raised his head at the familiar laugh, one belonging to a lackey of his former ally.

Lord Crump stood in the doorway, accompanied by a few X-Nauts. Along with them, was also the Anglar Emperor, who had some sort of squid character with her. "I suppose you did not expect to see us again so soon, Rez? You were not the only one who turned away from that group, after all." The Emperor said.

"How did you know where to find me?" Rez hissed.

"The twisted wizard gave us a tip that we may need to help out one last time."

"What's that jellyfish here for?" The squid seemed rather offended by Rez's words.

"Zoldge is a technological genius. I was able to contact him again after he broke off with the Anglar Empire. Long story short, I was able to convince Zoldge to come back to my side." The Anglar Emperor explained, obviously not wanting to delve into any details on her past issues with hired guns. "Let him help you, Rez, along with those X-Nauts. I did not pay him for nothing."

Seeing no other option, especially with the machine broken once more, Rez gave in. He wasn't sure about trusting them, and the robots had no idea what was happening at all, but they were the best chance Rez had right now. Refusing their assistance would be idiotic.

At the same time, Rez couldn't help but wonder, while stepping aside to let the others help… what exactly happened to Wizzro? What was he doing this time?

—

The Dark Champion got as much support as he did. Many smaller parties from Lowee, Lastation, Leanbox, and Planeptune. "I did not expect you to go through with this." A voice said to him. The Dark Champion didn't even have to look at who it was, he knew it was his own brother; the Eternal Champion, who spoke just now. "You have changed so much, within just a couple of days… if you're curious, I requested assistance from Hell upon being thawed out, since I knew this was coming."

"You knew?"

"You were not aware of Samael's past involvement with the God and Lady of Games, but yes."

He felt like a fool for not listening to his own brother's warnings, a whole lot of this could have been avoided. It was too late now, and the Dark Champion was doing whatever he could to fix it. "Everyone is readying themselves, one in particular is going to give the signal, so Natalie and her friends can break free. They will do all they can, and so will I. Even if it means…"

"Brother… are you implying that you would throw away your existence, just for the balance of this world to be restored?"

"No." The Dark Champion muttered. "I would be doing this to save lives. And I do realize the irony of that."

Vanishing into a ball of light, the Dark Champion started to leave. The Eternal Champion did the same, hurrying so they could track down where the final battle would be taking place.

No CPUs, no mascot characters… but four gamers, with other allies.

—

The God and Lady of Games had the largest advantage ever, despite there being only two of them. Invincible, able to take the energy in the four gamers even when they made their bodies like that of a specter, and able to kill anyone in their way if they so wished. They were rather quick as well, Natalie didn't want any of her friends splitting up, so they all kept running together.

"Why do you run, children? Can't you embrace the ones meant rule over Gamindustri, and welcome them with open arms?" The Lady of Games murmured eerily. It was even more frightening than the Phantom God, because he was at least fueled by anger, and had weaknesses. This doll-like woman, showed little emotion.

It was almost like a horror game, being chased down by a monster who you couldn't fight off. Being caught would mean game over… except, this wasn't a game. The fear was real, as if they were running from either a serial killer, or an eldritch horror. It was a strange mix of both. Transforming wouldn't help them right now, as they would be caught and probably killed in an instant.

Michael felt his leg being grabbed by one of the tendrils. He gasped, watching the Lady of Games drag him over. Caela screamed, wanting to pull him back over, away from the Lady of Games, but Natalie and Nick stopped her. If Caela did that, she would surely get herself killed. The Lady of Games pulled Michael up to face her blank gaze, he didn't know whether to shout and kick, transform, or think of a way to escape. He couldn't though. Panic was overcoming him, his usual, spectral form was no longer safe. This was it, he was completely vulnerable.

But then, instead, something was thrown at the Lady's head. Both her and the God of Games looked at the ground, to see what it was.

A croissant.

Of all the things in the world, a croissant is what got their attention. The God and Lady of Games glanced to the side to see who was responsible.

"Y-you stay away…!" Stammering and shaking, despite being accompanied by many, was Glass Joe, of all people.

Along with him was Octoman, King Hippo, Zazan, Lip, Dillon, several residents of Lowee banded together. They may not have been Smashers, in fact, they were anything but, yet they knew that this was a dire time. One where they were needed. "The Emperor assigned one final mission for Octoman and I, which is assisting against a menace." Zazan spoke, readying a Demon Sniper Rifle. "Would that menace happen to be you two?"

It was not just a handful of Loweeans however that had arrived. The God of Games found his attention brought to those from Lastation next. Zarok, Specter, Calypso, Kuro, Lammy, Zeo Uyghur, Demitri Maximoff, Miss Etna, along with many others.

Leanbox's backup came in the form of El Diablo, B. Orchid, Jago, Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, Maggie Monday, Ms. Splosion Man, Gruntilda Winkybunion, and ironically, Hoodlums, after what he had done previously.

"This wasn't part of that damn plan we originally had," Hoodlums spat, "that angel made zero mention of these two!"

"Amigo, why are you surprised?" El Diablo questioned. "Either way, this is your chance to be redeemed."

Finally, amongst the Planeptune side, was Schezo Wegey, Shadow the Hedgehog, Larcen Tyler, Ax Battler, Tyris Flare, Ryo Hazuki, Mobo and Robo, Gum, and more.

To top it all off, Wizzro appeared before the God of Games, smirking at him. "Unfortunately, I don't think someone as twisted as me can let you take their power or kill them." He cackled, pointing at Natalie. "I still owe her a favor unfortunately, and I will return it, even if it's against my usual character!"

With zero hesitation, everyone began attacking, in whatever way they could. The Dark and Eternal Champion arrived onto the scene just in time to assist, using attacks based off of natural disasters and mythical creatures respectively. Neither the God nor the Lady of Games were worried, knowing that they still had the advantage.

"Oh dear, an ambush. Whatever shall we do?" The God of Games said sarcastically, swatting Lara Croft out of his way.

"Pitiful, do none of you inferior creatures realize we are invincible?" The Lady of Games asked.

None of them said a word back to the two, doing whatever they could to try and inflict some kind of wound on any of them. The fully recovered Flandre Scarlet flew towards the battle, accompanied by her sister, Remilia, and the chief maid, Sakuya, who stopped time. Flandre began to focus her power on the couple, crushing their "core" from afar. Once Sakuya started time up once again, they exploded into ashes.

"Huh? Is that it?"

"Wow, that was easy."

"So much for invincible!"

"Wait, I don't think it's over!" Lip exclaimed, pointing at the ashes.

They began to reform, Sakuya attempted to stop time, and Remilia wanted to seal their fate, but each time they tried to do something to pierce the shapes that reassembled, it only quickened. "No, that's impossible! No one can withstand having their eye crushed so easily, especially when…!" Remilia began to shake, both her and Flandre now hiding behind Sakuya.

"Did I not say, we are invincible?" The Lady of Games muttered, towering over the vampires and their maid. Time stopped yet again, if only for Sakuya to get away from her, and fling knives. They pierced the Lady of Games, yet they did nothing. "How sad, you run for your worthless lives."

The both of them were so focused on everyone opposing them, that they didn't realize at all that Wizzro and Hoodlums had actually went ahead and got the four gamers out of their grasp, cloaking them with magic, then running away from the area. "Why are you two helping us?" Nick wondered. "And in your case, a second time?"

"Like I said, I had to return the favor." Wizzro replied, while Hoodlums simply pouted. "The Dark Champion contacted many willing to put their lives on the line, just to stop those… things, which even I do not want taking over this world."

"Even a weak coward like Glass Joe?" Michael asked.

"He was first to step up along with Octoman. Ironic, isn't it?" Wizzro laughed.

Maybe Michael was being a little harsh in that regard. He did remember the french boxer giving him a hard time in the Title Defense of Punch Out! for the Wii. "Either way, you all need to do is recharge, and gain New Game Plus energy or whatever the hell it was. Otherwise, you stand no chance. The Dark Champion suggested that it may be the only way to fight back against those two freaks! And we need to be fast about it, otherwise those other guys will probably die, not that I care!"

Ignoring that last part, they all knew what they had to do now. Whatever remnants of New Game Plus that remained, they had to have. "Good news for you though, I have some." Hoodlums continued, taking out a bottle, shaped in a comical, Rareware manner. "I had been saving up, in case it was needed in our schemes. This is the only one left… although, I am unsure if it is enough."

They all smiled, especially Caela. "I didn't think you would really turn over, after doing it out of fear for your life before."

"Sh-shut the hell up! I'm doing it because the Dark Champion and this power-drunk idiot wanted me to help, plus I won't be able to be the rat's enemy if some god wannabes take over Gamindustri! I'm not doing this for you!"

… No one knew exactly how to respond to that. Michael couldn't help but be a little annoyed, Nick and Wizzro found it funny, while Caela and Natalie were confused. There wasn't any time to question Hoodlums' true character though, they had to recharge their power, and use it, Gamindustri needed to be saved.

—

Through the colorful vortex, Blue Heart saw it, something that made her blood turn a little cold for a second.

A dark-colored core, pulsating like a heart, yet its shape was similar to a giant piece of hardware found in a computer. A mixture of technology, with something organic, was unsettling to Blue Heart. It wasn't natural to look at, and she wondered how much of this represented the God and Lady of Games. Especially the latter, with her uncanny appearance.

The sound of heartbeats echoed in her head, each one sending down a comet to the world. Every second that passed, there was a comet being emitted from the hardware, like blood pumping throughout one's veins. Blue Heart could not be entranced by the sight though. Clicking the revolvers in her hands, Blue Heart pointed at the hardware, constantly wondering if this would work.

Multiple shots at the core were fired, Blue Heart watching as each bullet, the finisher having water-based properties that she hoped would short-circuit the hardware. But instead, nothing happened, her attacks were brushed off. Blue Heart knew she couldn't give up on this, and instead tried to use a special.

"Cubique… Bords!" She muttered, firing four sets of cube-shaped bullets from the revolvers, watching to see if any damage was done. Once again though, nothing pierced the core, and voices start to come out of it instead. All of them were whispering, so Blue Heart could not recognize them, yet it sounded like something that happened in the past.

"Like, Bleu!" Pink Heart called out to her, holding a gun as she tagged alongside the other CPU. "There you are, I totally didn't think you would go and fly up here!"

"Huh… Neya," Blue Heart murmured, smiling softly, "you still like helping me out… in dire times?"

"Of course! Even though we were rivals, like, in the old days, I considered you my bestie!"

It was true. Out of everyone back then, Blue Heart did not get into fights with Pink Heart very much. When she and Geya were disposed of in the old Console Wars, it upset Bleu quite a whole lot, wanting to bring those two back to life, along with the other lives that had been lost. Things like that were the reason she started her quest for the New Game Plus a couple years ago.

"Neya… I know this world is in danger right now, but… can you hear what I am hearing?" Lowering the revolvers, Blue Heart began to listen to the voices. Pink Heart didn't understand, her sister flying into the scene right as they stopped talking.

" _If you take this in, you will learn the truth of this world… don't you two want to understand how this world works?"_ The voice of a young man hissed, much like a snake. " _You two can become gods yourselves one day, much like him!"_

 _Him?_

Blue and Pink Heart thought for the longest time, the original CPU, the one who was true and created everyone… was known as the 'True Goddess'. Were they lied to? Did something change? Who was it that was talking for that matter?

" _A rebellion… Arfoire will start a rebellion, and take the place of the True God. We will help her."_ That voice belonged to the Lady of Games, no doubt. _"She is not just a deity who sins against Marron, she is one finding the free world. One overriding all conflict that he may create."_

The voices began to fast-forward, as if they were being played on some kind of recording device within the hardware. _"Arfoire became the True Goddess, thanks to us. But now, Marron has split into several smaller gods… Bronze Heart, is going to keep living on."_ The God of Games said next. _"Now that we have ascended ourselves, they are the only things in our way. All deities, from the Free World, must try to fight back."_

" _No longer is this a single nation known as the Odyssey, but… Gamindustri, containing many. Many to be slain."_ There was a long pause. _"If Arfoire cannot reach the top of it all, then— AAAAAAAAIIIIYEEEEEE!"_ The Lady of Games screeched, making the CPUs wince.

" _Stay down, ASIC!"_ The voice of a CPU retorted. Blue Heart could tell it was most likely Vert's, accompanied by others, murdering the Lady of Games. It became even worse when Green Heart herself entered the scene, joined by everyone except Purple Heart and Sister. It was like an event she didn't wish to relive.

Over a minute passed, they thought that was the end of the voices, but then they began to hear the God of Games again. _"My Lady…? No, who… who did this to you?… I'll have my revenge, don't you worry! I'll ask that angel… he'll help me again."_

He sobbed for a good couple of minutes, before his emotions dried up, revealing his anger. _"Even if it takes hundreds of years, and I have to… play along, pretend I am on their side… Yes, that is exactly what I will do."_

That's how it all started.

"I think we waited around to hear this long enough." Opal Brother spoke.

"He's right, we need to focus on destroying this thing!" Black Sister agreed.

"I attempted such already." Blue Heart replied.

"Did you try an EXE Drive attack?" Green Heart asked.

"Oh… not yet."

"Then we'll use as much power as we can to crush this piece of junk!" White Heart exclaimed.

They would eventually realize though, that more power may be needed in order to destroy the core.

—

Rin started to wake up, unharmed somehow, despite passing out in front of a comet. Her vision was a bit blurry, but it didn't take long for her to see that she wasn't in the same place as before. "You're alright." Sabre sighed in relief, standing there with Madi. "You may have not been harmed, yet, I was still worried. After all, the three of us are a team, aren't we?"

She noticed Cooper and Kasumi surrounding someone else, and struggling with something. Cooper was holding duct tape, which seemed funny at first, but he looked desperate. Voodoo Vince was standing near them as well, showing emotion that wasn't unimpressed or smug… he seemed distraught, unable to say a word.

Madi helped Rin back onto her feet, explaining what had happened. "You failed to set off your spell in time and were vulnerable, but that one puppet shoved you away before the comet could strike. He took the hit for you, and…" she bit her lip, trying to say the words. "He's in pieces now." At first, Rin wasn't sure what to say, feeling as if it was her fault that happened. That was, until someone began shouting.

"I'M ALREADY DEAD YA IDJITS!"

"He's still animated, I almost neglected to mention that part." Madi said, Rin was happy to hear that at least. Kasumi and Cooper backed down, as the broken apart puppet— save his head and some parts of his body— was revealed now.

"Aren't you in pain!?" Vince questioned.

"Yes, but tapin' me together won't help. I can't make myself solid anyhoo—"

"Oh thank god, cherry lady, can you use healing powers to fix him!?"

"I'm surprised ya care this much, Vince."

"Because you're my friend, idiot!"

"Okay, okay! Calm down, both of you!" Rin snapped, taking out her erhu.

She began to play it, but it didn't do a thing, even when Rin tried making herself completely visible, albeit for a short moment. "I don't think this is gonna work, cherry pie. Like I said, can't make my body solid. I appreciate the thought though." The Gunstringer tried to smile at her. "Don't worry about me, that whole world's gonna be crushed, unless Vert and the others hurry it up."

This was true, they couldn't just stand around, even if most of them really couldn't do anything about the comets, thus why they were pulled away to a place somewhat safer. "Go on, the whole lotta y'all, even if ya think ya can't do much, no point in not helpin' out there. I'll be fine." Nodding in agreement, Kasumi and Cooper took their leave, while Vince was a little more reluctant to do so.

Madi, Sabre, and Rin all looked at each other, knowing that they had to be more careful now. Before she left though, Rin looked over to the Gunstringer. "Um… Mr. Gunstringer, thank you."

"Huh? What fer?"

"For everything. Telling me the truth about the past, helping me trust in everyone else, getting rid of… him, when I couldn't do it. It's like you're always looking out for me."

"Uh….well, of course, cherry pie. I'll always be glad to be there ta look out fer ya and help with whatever ya need…..uh, I mean, well….." The Leanbox residents started to look at the Gunstringer, with surprise and amusement on their faces. Rin, however, was confused.

"Wait, what do you mean by that? You sound like you're trying to say something and not say something at the same time."

The Gunstringer was put on the spot. With everyone else clued in and Rin not looking like she wanted to drop it, he knew he couldn't change the subject or make something up. Gathering his courage, he spoke up. "I….have somethin' ta tell ya. But I don't think that you'll like it."

"What do you mean?"

"I…...I like ya." Rin's eyes widened. "I…...I guess ya could say I saw a kindred spirit in ya. We were both betrayed by the ones we trusted the most. But ya were still willin' to give the benefit of the doubt, when I couldn't. You've been hurt, but ya didn't go down the path I did. Ya still stay by yer friends, even when somethin' don't seem right. That's a good sense of loyalty. Also, yer a lot nicer than that miko, when ya think about it."

Reimu was severely tempted to punch him, but he was wrecked enough and she didn't want to ruin the moment. Before Rin could say anything the Gunstringer held up his hand. "I may be conveyin' my feelings, but I'm not trying to start anythin'. I've walked down a path of no return, my hands are too stained fer anythin' nice to happen ta me. Ya don't want to be with a monster like me. I probably shouldn't have said anythin' ta begin with. I'm sorry." The Gunstringer looked down to the ground as the Leanbox characters looked back and forth between the two. Reimu was a little dumbfounded, never seeing this kind of sensitive side to the Gunstringer before.

Rin broke the silence and surprised everyone by picking up her erhu and closing her eyes. She began to play it again, but it was different. The notes seemed more harmonic and flowing, as if a missing part was put in. The Gunstringer's parts started to move about, floating towards him and coming back together. When the Gunstringer was whole again, Rin stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

"I don't see a monster." The Gunstringer was taken off guard by that. "You have stuck with your friends through all of this, and even helped save me from myself when Samael was defeated. A monster wouldn't have done that. A monster would have abandoned us long ago. Whatever you see in yourself, I see the opposite. You're a good man, and I know it."

The Gunstringer was speechless. He hadn't felt like this since when he thought The Lady of the Dead was trustworthy. He could have almost sworn he heard his heart start beating again. The Leanbox characters heads were spinning from what was happening. Reimu looked like she was about to faint, refusing to believe something that shouldn't have been possible. The moment was broken, however, by a loud rumbling overhead. They looked up to see a big comet coming at them.

None of them were able to move or defend in time. It looked like something beautiful was about to end permanently. That was, except for the fact that Birdie saw the scene unfold, and recalled Little Mac's words. _"When something looks dangerous, that's when it's most vulnerable."_ He repeated the words to himself, noticing that there were a few cracks on the comet. Putting on his gloves, He ran towards it, ready for action.

Concentrating on his latent power, he delivered a Super Punch that blew the comet off-course, deflecting it from the Leanbox team. Smiling as he finally remembered how to fight in the game world, he laid a series of fast punches on the cracks, spreading the all over the comet before delivering one last Super Punch, shattering the comet and making the pieces go everywhere, landing harmlessly on the ground. Everyone that was ducking started to slowly get up, only to start giggling at an amusing sight.

"Uh, Gunstringer, the comet is gone." The Gunstringer opened his eyes to realize that he was still holding Rin close. Very close. Letting go, he was glad he didn't have skin so no one could see him blush.

Looking up at the skies, still having comets fall down, Purple Heart spread her wings. "They are taking a long time. We need to go up there!" Purple Heart was about to fly off towards the vortex with her sister, but then was stopped by Mr. Grimm. She looked at him, and gave a sympathetic smile. "Grimmy…"

"I… I can't let you! What if you and your sister do not return? If they are taking so long, then who knows what is going on up there?"

"Grimmy, I understand your concerns."

"Please, Neptune, give them more time— or send someone else up there! If I could fly, I would go in your place!"

"If only they could give a signal that they were okay in that vortex." Purple Sister muttered, ready to take off anyway.

"If Angela and I lose you, then… what will happen to Planeptune?"

Purple Heart stared at him for nearly a minute, and he could tell what she was thinking. He had to believe in her, as dangerous as this all seemed. "I will never leave you, and you know that. If I perish, I'll find a way to remain by your side. I can feel it though… they aren't harmed, and the others need our help." Embracing him gently, Purple Heart let go after a few seconds, then began to fly upwards.

Mr. Grimm just had assure himself that this would all be fine. They all knew what they were doing. All the SEGA characters were definitely putting their trust in Planeptune's CPU, even if they were a bit scared as to what may happen.

Faith is what was needed to power the CPUs, after all.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

 **Resolve**

The repairs on the machine were just about nearly completed. Rez didn't expect it to be done so quickly. Scervo was growing impatient, more than usual, while his brother stood by Lawrence and Clunk. "Come on, ya landlubbers! Faster this gets fixed, the sooner we get the doc back!" He ordered, annoying both Zoldge, and a handful of X-Nauts.

"Nearly finished, just need to reconnect this portion, and…!" Zoldge pressed a button, then stepped back, as did most of the X-Nauts. The machine started buzzing, and the portal began to open up.

Just as it did however, someone came storming inside.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

Orange hair, tiger-based accessories, a red dress, and carrying some kind of ray gun. No one in the room seemed to recognize her, except for Lawrence, who sighed upon this girl showing up. "Oh, goodie. Just who everyone needed to see, the Mega B—"

"Shut your trap, tin can! Why is everyone vanishing, and two deities running around, beating up some of the dumb mascot characters!? What the f—" Scervo began covering the hearing sensors of Dreadfuse, when the girl began cursing up a storm. Clunk was amused by the sight, while Rez and Zoldge were getting a headache.

The Anglar Emperor, noticing Angela walk in, also covered the ears of the young child. "Goodness, young lady, there are children present! Can't you be more considerate? Who even are you, barging in at a time like this!?" Angela started to squirm around meanwhile, uncomfortable at the fish's fin-like hands around her.

"Uhhh, newsflash, shrimp! I don't freakin' care! I want answers!"

"You want answers? Go in the portal then, save us the trouble." Lord Crump suggested.

"I don't need your advice, fatty! I can do that myself!" Sticking her tongue out at him, she ran into the portal, transforming in the process.

Everyone was in awe, except for Dreadfuse, who was plain confused. "Who was that? What did she say? Can I start listening again now?" Dreadfuse asked, as Scervo removed his hands, one which was a hook, meaning he had to be careful.

"That would be Electra's CPU candidate, Taigara. The only CPU to only be a mere candidate, since she is not strong enough to be a lone CPU that handles consoles. She is only handheld, you could say." Histoire sighed, still exhausted. "I did not expect her arrival, I am unsure if this will be in our favor, or not."

"Someone like that should have been rejected as a CPU, much less a candidate." Zoldge mumbled, as the Anglar Emperor finally removed her fins from Angela's head.

—

Reaching the core, Purple Heart could see the CPUs were taking turns. Each time they tried to attack it, they became weary, needing to recover. All of this didn't even leave a proper dent in the hardware, which looked weakened at first, but restored itself within seconds. "What can we even do here?" Purple Sister muttered, looking at the other CPUs.

" _The power of Marron, was passed on to all… they are all parts of him, in the same way the CFWs were part of Arfoire."_ The God of Games' voice echoed, startling Purple Heart and Sister. _"Faith, shares, are what they all feed from. Arfoire and the CFWs do the very same."_

It made them all halt, as Blue Heart stared at the core. "It's like… a backup memory entirely. Telling us what has happened in the past." Blue Heart couldn't help but be mesmerized rather than creeped out at this point. "It's intriguing… knowing someone like L.O.G blended in for many years… with his malicious intentions."

"Is there really no way to destroy it?" Black Heart panted, the grip around her longsword slipping. "It's ignoring any EXE Drive attacks! Even in our Next Form, we aren't getting a reaction!" She directed to White Heart, who turned into her "Next White" form, which did not help the situation at all. If anything, it just wore her out much faster.

Purple Heart wondered if the words being whispered around them gave any sort of hint. Some of the sentences sounded fearful of "Marron", whoever that was. The name felt familiar to her, but since she had arrived late, Purple Heart was not sure who that was. "Should we combine our strengths? Maybe that's the key!" Purple Sister suggested.

"Most of us tried that!" Black Sister retorted. "We can't keep wasting EXE Drives, Nepgear!"

"Yeah, and all of us are here!" White Sister Ram pointed out.

"Not… all of us." Opal Brother murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, my, friggin', GOD!" Everyone cringed, recognizing the voice, seeing a girl with orange-red hair, carrying a laser cannon, wearing a red and black latex suit, with wings to match, and wearing some kind of headgear that had an unusual lens, covering her left eye. "Why are you idiots all up here? Do you have a death wish!? I mean, I don't mind taking the crown as the lone CPU, but what the hell!?"

Red Sister, also known as Taigara, stood there as nearly all the CPUs glared at her. The exception being Purple and Blue Heart. "Actually, your timing is perfect. We need your help." Purple Heart said, taking nearly everyone by surprise, including Red Sister herself. "I know, you're all going to object, but I really think the key to this is having all the CPUs of our dimension here!"

"We were all… part of Marron once. It wouldn't be too farfetched to combine our powers now." Blue Heart agreed, preparing her revolvers again. "That is… if Taigara is going to cooperate with us."

"Uhh, if it means getting answers out of all you dumb skanks and the two geeks, whatever." Red Sister's constant rude behavior made a lot of them want to just throw her under the bus. Blue Heart didn't even know that when using the New Game Plus, she had brought back Taigara in the process. But right now, she was actually needed, so the CPUs could channel the single entity that 'made' them who they are now.

A bronze light glimmered as they all began to use their EXE Drive attacks, bringing forth a new ability. As if someone had been by their side for years, and only now did the CPUs realize it.

Black and Red Sister both used their rifle and laser cannon respectively. Pink and Purple Sister swung their blades at the core, making sure to leave holes in it with either of their weapons. Opal Brother attempted to pierce it from a distance, while the White Sisters used a great deal of ice magic.

Purple and Black Heart also began slicing the core, Blue and Pink Heart were both firing rapidly. White Heart swung her axe in a violent manner, not stopping until she was tired. Green Heart stabbed it repeatedly, yet gracefully, with her drill-lance. Opal Heart summoned some kind of magical bow, and then firing arrows at the core.

And for the finisher, all fourteen of them dealt a blow to the core, which was screaming like the Lady of Games did at her death.

—

The world began regaining its color, Mr. Grimm watched, like he was the entire time, hoping Neptune would return. The comets no longer came raining down from the vortex, and instead, the CPUs were all flying back out.

"They… they did it!" Alex Kidd cheered.

"Blanc! She's alright! Yahoo!" Mario shouted.

"Noire! Uni!" Sir Daniel called out to them, even with his lack of a lower jaw.

"Vert…" Glacius sighed in relief.

"I was afraid I was going to lose Bleu again for a moment." Gex said, trying to hold back any emotions.

As all the CPUs landed, and were all greeted with embraces, relief, praise, and other mixed emotions… with the exception of a select few.

"Aw, like, I thought for certain characters from Fatal Fury and Metal Slug would be totally here to back us up!" Pink Heart groaned, turning back into her original form. Geya didn't mind not being crowded, since she wasn't the best in those sort of overwhelming situations.

"Quite an awkward moment for us." Swanson sighed.

"You think the Pokémon will say hi to us at least?" Pipin wondered.

"Oh sure! Completely ignore the one who stepped in and saved the day!" Taigara complained. Naturally, she was ignored further.

With that all fixed, and the portal open, everyone could leave without having to worry about anything else. It was best to hurry with that too, as people might start seeing them, now that time was starting up again. Some of them began to look around weirdly, as if they knew something had occurred, or noticed that they moved to a different spot during that long pause.

They didn't want anyone seeing the open portal either, so everyone made a break for it. Even Birdie and Sei, ready to welcome their old home with open arms, though of course, it wasn't even close to over just yet.

—

The God of Games cackled, as he flung Goemon and Mai Shiranui away from his presence. Even though he was having fun, treating everyone like they were nothing, his wife seemed less than pleased. Especially when the Lady of Games noticed that a particular group was no longer near them.

"What happened to those humans?" She murmured, surprising the God of Games. He realized only now that he was taking his furious revenge out on mascot characters so much— mainly for what happened in the past— that the God of Games had entirely forgotten about the gamers who had brought them back by accident.

What made it worse, is that it really looked like they had gotten away from the couple. The God of Games looked around, tempted to grab someone and interrogate them, but the Lady of Games was leaning over her husband. "You were so focused on everyone else, that you let them flee the scene. Probably with help."

"D-darling, we'll find them, surely!" Stepping away from the Lady of Games, he tried to smile at her. "It should not take long. Where could a bunch of mortal humans from the outside world could have gone? Not far, I assure you. I-it's easy enough to tail them, isn't it, love?" She could only stare at him blankly, as if waiting for him to do something, rather than stand there and make excuses.

Seeing the God of Games being pushed around so easily, and outright threatened by his wife was… a bit of a surprise for some. "Stop toying and taunting. Either we kill these ones, or leave them here." The Lady of Games spoke, turning her back on the characters who had attempted to fight the couple, taking her leave.

"Where is she going? With her partner for that matter?" Specter muttered, watching them leave.

"They're heading for the Valley of Seers!" Lip exclaimed.

"Why would they…" The Dark Champion wondered, as even he and his brother were not match for the God and Lady of Games. The realization hit him quicker than ever. "Brother!"

"I know. We must stop them, before they track them down. Let us make haste!" Turning into balls of light, the Eternal and Dark Champion tried to chase the other duo. They hoped to stop them in any way possible, but due to how invincible they really were, even stalling them was proving to be too difficult. The Lady of Games almost never looked over to those trying to distract her, except when she truly felt the need to knock the Dark Champion aside.

Wizzro preferred areas that were mostly familiar to him, it wasn't a surprise that much that he made the gamers temporarily retreat to the Valley of Seers, it was one of the places closest by in the middle of Lowee after all.

Oddly enough, it seemed to be a very fitting place to have the final battle as well. If Gamindustri was lucky, the God and Lady of Games would be dealt with in a sweep from the gamers.

—

"Why aren't we going out there and fighting them now!? It's a matter of life and death for those who stood up for us!" Michael snapped, not liking how the two wizards were wandering through the Valley of Seers, rather than letting the gamers go back out there and fight the couple.

Hoodlums shot a glare at him, while Wizzro seemed only amused by Michael's yelling. "Your impatience with me brings memories of a certain dragon knight I once knew. Didn't have any time for my nonsense, is what he would often say. Knowing you, I can easily assume that you're aware of who I'm referring to." He chuckled, trying to use his magic to make bits of energy rise from the earth. "My former master opened the Gate of Souls in this area. I simply guessed that more of that power, found itself drawn here. I did feel it while imprisoned, kehehe!"

For some reason, that did make sense somewhat. If one were to mess with timelines, something with unusual properties like the New Game Plus probably would have felt some kind of attraction towards wherever that occurred. "Hopefully now, this will be plenty, and you kids can go face off against— eh?" Wizzro noticed some shadows looming over all six of them, ominous ones, at that.

"You thought you could sneak off and run away from us? How very, very sad of you four gamers. Needing the help of a power hungry little wretch, and some fool who was scrapped, meant to be forgotten forever? My, it's so unlike those two." The God of Games taunted, hoping to strike some nerves. Only Hoodlums reacted badly to the words though, wanting to strangle the God of Games, though he knew very well that would not work.

"What is more, you all went to this valley, just to recharge yourselves." The Lady of Games nearly struck Wizzro, who avoided the tendrils, not wanting a repeat of anything involving the Sleeping Princess. She was about to drain the New Game Plus energy that had been located, until Nick transformed into Dart, slicing them away, and making haste to get it for his friends.

He knew that the arms would just grow back into more, but Nick had to risk it anyway. "We can't fool around anymore! We need to to try and finish them off, even if we fail!" Natalie, Michael, and Caela nodded in agreement. Hoodlums and Wizzro thought they were crazy, due to the possibility of them being underpowered, but it was not like they could do much of anything.

Even with that in mind, the Lady of Games actually winced for once at Nick's attack. "You… actually harmed me? That should not be possible, we are invincible… but I can see that enough of that artifact's remnants has allowed you to perhaps pierce our defenses. Fighting fire, with your own fire. An impressive feat, for outside mortals, meant only to play games like mindless drones." The tendrils began to extend again, turning into vicious-looking claws, the Lady of Games did not seem like she wanted to play around much longer.

As Nick remained in the form of Dart, Natalie became Sakura Shinguji, while Michael and Caela turned into Lucario and Sho respectively. They could have gone all out, but they wanted to do a proper warm-up first, so that they would all be ready when the God and Lady of Games became more aggressive, and least expected it.

"Lucario" launched an Aura Sphere at the Lady of Games, wanting to knock her back just a little bit while the other three targeted her husband. "Sho" grabbed onto the God of Games, thinking of throwing him despite his large size. Everyone nearly expected a counterattack from the God of Games, but instead, he was shocked, mainly at how he felt part of his invincibility fading.

"What in the world did you do just now?" The God of Games questioned in a threatened tone, as "Sho" pulled back, looking at the New Game Plus energy in their hands. "Did you just take some of my power and add it to your own? My, how greedy of you. You gamers have plenty of it as it is."

"Isn't that kind of hypocritical for you to say that? You were doing the same thing to us! This is just payback!" Pointing a gun at the God of Games, "Sho" began firing while powered up further, sending him towards one of the ruins in the valley. "We can hold onto him and take his energy, guys!"

"Oh, I'm not letting that happen again. You all caught me by surprise." Unusual, creepy tendrils came out of the God of Games' outfit, prepared for whatever the gamers would do next. They all had to think now. Sure, "Lucario" was doing a fine job of distracting the Lady of Games, but it probably wouldn't last if they didn't act quickly. They had to take as much energy as they could from the God of Games, but he was cautious of his enemies.

"Dart" looked over to his friends. "Any thoughts on what to do next? We could be walking right into a death trap if we try to take his energy again. Or this could be a game of both sides sapping each other's power!" It wasn't like they could sit still and think about it either, the God of Games wasn't going to let that happen. He was intent on blocking off their train of thoughts, or using it to his advantage. Thankfully, the God of Games missed his strikes each time.

Hoodlums watched, becoming more antsy as it continued. "Those idiots are dancing around in the web of a hungry spider, just waiting to suck their life away!" Neither him nor Wizzro could help, as that would also be digging their own graves. "Where is the Dark Champion and his brother!? If anyone should be helping—"

"If they send themselves out there, it would be just as much of a risk for the universe's balance. The couple is no longer toying with those below them." Wizzro pointed out, watching the gamers clash against the God of Games and his wife. "That being said, I'm going to risk it anyway. What's life without playing with fire? Hiya ha ha!" Floating over towards the God of Games, Hoodlums wanted to stop the other wizard, but found himself too terrified over of the thought of what may happen.

The God of Games did not see him coming, but he felt his presence, as Wizzro sank into the ground, forming a dark puddle. It began to creep underneath the God of Games, and there was no way for the deity to escape. "What is this? Why am I stuck?" He hissed, as the serpent-like creatures began leaping out of the puddle, trying to bite his tendrils off.

Using this to their advantage, the gamers latched onto him, hoping to take whatever power the God of Games had. The Lady of Games noticed the plight her husband was in, and sighed. "That fool. Cannot even fight mortal outsiders." Swatting "Lucario" away, she made her way over to the other gamers, knowing she had to help the God of Games.

Not because she loved him in the same way he would do anything for the Lady of Games, but because the gamers would become far too powerful. That mattered far more than anything. They saw her ready to snag them, and knew that they had enough energy at this point, so they pulled away in several directions. The dark puddle formed a sphere, then exploded, sending the God of Games directly at his wife, who caught him with her own tendrils.

"My husband is weakening, and was caught by a mere ring." Unamused, the Lady of Games instantly snagged onto Wizzro instead, who made the mistake of not teleporting instantly once his trap was over. "What happened last time to you… you were put away?"

"I… I've served my purpose." Wizzro grunted, not even trying to break free from her grasp. "For someone blind to follow power, to meet the end of his tale by going on the softer side. The irony isn't lost on me, and I don't have any regrets." He began to chuckle, although it sounded more like a gasp from how tight the Lady of Games held him. "H-heh, now I'm the one starting to sound like that lizard-brain… I really wonder what happened to him, after I was sealed that second time."

The Lady of Games watched the dark-pink glow form around the ring, making Wizzro's essence be sent back into it. "You're going to find out, very soon." She muttered, tendrils slowly turning into hands that resembled a mannequin's. Pressing her fingers against the ring, and more energy surrounding the sealed ring.

"DON'T!" Natalie yelled, changes forms from Sakura to Sonic, and zipping over to her, while Michael prepared another Aura Sphere attack, hoping to hit the Lady of Games.

They were both too late. The red jewel in the ring shattered. Hoodlums watched in horror, seeing his closest thing to a proper ally turn into nothing but shards and dust. "Have fun finding out where your old ally went, twisted wizard. The both of you can discuss your foolishness in the afterlife… provided, your conscious will even be found." The Lady of Games began to giggle softly, her husband laughing with her, even though he was at a disadvantage.

The Dark and Eternal Champions arrived onto the scene at the worst time, noting the mortified look on Hoodlums, and then seeing the broken ring.

Caela and Michael were shocked. True, seeing a video game character die wasn't something new to them, but this time it was different. It wasn't the same as "start over he's back at the beginning", he was really destroyed, supposedly never to come back. It brought a new grave level on the situation. Breathing deeply to calm down, they readied themselves and braced for the worst.

Nick, on the other hand, was more concerned about Natalie. Out of the entire group of villains she worked with, Wizzro was the only one who actually wanted to help her, even if it was just a favor he owed. And already seeing one friend fall before her was traumatising enough. And he was saved. This wasn't the case.

Natalie was shaking. This wasn't what she was expecting. None of this was. When she first came to this world, she didn't expect to be brought into a war that would take so many lives. She almost started wishing that she could return to the previous days of just the four of them arguing, because compared to this, it was a simple poke war. She didn't want to lose anymore friends, yet it seemed these two monsters were going to take them all away.

Her attention was grabbed by a hand resting on her shoulder. She turned in fright to see Nick standing there, with a concerned look on his face. She grabbed him in a quick embrace, bursting into tears. All Nick could do was wrap his arms around her, wishing there was some way to make her feel better.

The moment was broken by the sound of maniacal laughter, mocking the two of them.


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

 **Vengeful Fury**

The broken ring laid there for a good moment, the mocking laughter continuing. One sounding evil as ever, and the other being emotionless like a robot. The latter, coming from the Lady of Games, continued as she brought her heel down onto the ring.

Even though it shouldn't have been physically possible, the rest of the ring snapped. Either from being unable to hold itself together without the red jewel, or from the fact the Lady of Games was stronger than ever. "Do you all realize now what will happen if you continue to cross me? You will have the same fate as him. Sent to the afterlife, but lost on the way there." The God of Games didn't even notice how his wife mentioned only herself, and not the both of them, still laughing at the predicament.

"I remember when quite a few made the same mistake a few years ago. Oh, how fun it was to tear them apart, or see their bodies fizzle away." The God of Games was definitely reaching, considering his weaker state. "Looks like I will have to get back the energy taken from me though, before I can even release you of your life." Preparing dark-green energy, he aimed at the four gamers.

They went from horrified, to depressed, to angry within just a matter of seconds. "You two… I sure hope you like their angry faces!" Hoodlums snapped, clenching his white gloves into a fist. "Because you're about to get what you damn well deserve!" Glows surrounded the four gamers, as they began readying their power, about to use a variety of attacks, like they had done before.

Natalie gained Tyris Flare and Sakura's swords, along with Beat's roller skates, and magic that belonged to Arle Nadja. Her speed matched Sonic's, while she was now also able to fly like NiGHTS. Her limbs also changed into those similar to Vectorman's. Caela, Nick, and Michael donned the forms they had previously, ready to do whatever they could to the vile couple.

"Such anger, seething from all of you. I sure hope you're careful!" The God of Games chuckled, not caring in the slightest. "One wrong move could—"

WHAM!

He wasn't paying attention, and the Lady of Games didn't seem to care as Michael swung King Dedede's hammer at him with full force. Michael tried to hit the Lady of Games next, only for her to gracefully move out of the way. Despite the attack, the God of Games didn't flinch exactly. He seemed mildly irked instead. "Oh, I see now. To the death, is it? Enough chatter then." The God of Games propped himself back up with tendrils, his twisted smile widening more than ever.

Since the God of Games was the weaker of the two, it would make sense to take care of him first. Yet, everyone was still fired up from what his wife had done, they were all the more inclined to target her first, and hope that the Lady of Games would be powered down if they got a good hold on her. The Dark and Eternal Champion wished to help, especially the former, but Hoodlums pointed out how dangerous it was due to how Wizzro already sacrificed himself.

Natalie and Nick focused on the Lady of Games, while Michael and Caela tried to aim for her husband. Between Natalie's quick speed and Nick's variety of weapons, it was a little tricky for the Lady of Games to avoid everything they had. One of her arms was cut off by Natalie, and she could actually feel a bit of pain from it.

"Be careful on how close you get to me." The Lady of Games extended her tendrils, trying to latch onto Natalie, only for Nick to use Nathan Drake's AK-47 on the Lady of Games. A sickly, pink liquid oozed from the wounds created by the bullets, forcing the Lady of Games to use some of her tendrils to try and plug them. "No matter how much lead you fill me with, even if it hurts, I'll manage to recover from it if you leave me alone for long enough. Either take your time, or rush into it. Which one will it be, child?"

The two of them thought it over carefully, before realizing it might have been a trick. Yes, their own lives were at stake, but if they didn't risk all they had, then they would be stuck fighting the Lady of Games forever. "We have to ignore her," Natalie said, "she's just trying to stall us, and keep us from acting sooner! Nick, let's give her all we've got!" The Lady of Games definitely was just talking to mess with them, even if she was telling the truth. Unlike her husband, who fending off the other two gamers with the strength he had.

"I refuse to lose anymore of my power to mortal humans, meant to only be consumers." Casting several puppet strings from the tips of his fingers, the God of Games watched as they intertwined around Michael and Caela. They tried to snap the strings, but they only tightened, trying to sap the New Game Plus energy back out of them. Michael thought of cutting them by using Marth's sword, but instead, got a better idea.

Using an imitation of PK Thunder, Michael casted an electric attack onto his own body, which traveled through the strings, electrocuting the God of Games. He grunted in pain, having no choice but to release Michael and Caela before he could get his fix of energy. The strings pulled away from the two, and began twisting together, into sharp-looking spears of some kind now. The God of Games was intent on getting back what he had lost, no matter how violent the method was.

With the exposed guts belonging to Stubbs, Caela tore out one of the organs, and tossed it at the God of Games. Primarily to hold him back as she readied the Yithian Energy weapon, and Michael charged up an arm-cannon that belonged to Samus. "Maybe while draining his power, we should see if he has a weak spot somewhere!" Caela suggested, as the God of Games nearly tried to pierce Caela from afar, only for her to blast the set of strings as a countermeasure.

The strings connected to the God of Games left hand all dissolved, like they were nothing. Increasingly annoyed, his smile twisted into a look of frustration. "I expect this sort of fight being made by the CPUs themselves, or the mere mascots who once borrowed their weapons to use against me. Here I am now, facing humans using the items of said mascots this time around." He grumbled, turning the other set of strings into something similar to a cat o' nine tails. He paused, staring at it for a moment, grinning in a devilish manner. "Hmm, this isn't right at all. No, no, I can't attack you like this unless…"

He then yanked off his whole, right hand.

Michael and Caela's eyes widened as he did it. The sound effect wasn't a cartoonish one that sounded like it popped off, but one like something snapping and twisting painfully, tearing it off his own limb. Made even worse by the dark green liquid that gushed out for a couple of seconds.

"Doesn't that hurt you!?" Michael asked, gagging. Even though it wasn't real blood, and probably just data of some kind, it was still disgusting. Caela actually had to force herself to look away from it, even though she could normally stomach this sort of thing. It was just several levels of wrong.

"It's just a flesh wound." The God of Games replied, gritting his teeth. "I will be getting back my fast recovery rate and invincibility from you regardless. Especially if you stand there like so." Trying to whip the two gamers with the twisted strings, they snapped out of it and tried to move out of harm's way. His movements were faster now, even though the God of Games only had a single hand. It was somehow more difficult than avoiding the spear-like strings, definitely.

Natalie and Nick were inclined to drop what they were doing to help their friends, but their anger over the Lady of Games, along with how good she was at reading movements, made it impossible to risk trying to run away from the fight with her. The Dark Champion couldn't watch it much longer though, even if Hoodlums told him how they would be throwing away the balance of the world if he or his brother tried anything reckless.

"Brother, forgive me once again," the Dark Champion spoke, "I am not going to stand here and watch this unfold! For this world, and their lives, we should be doing whatever we can!" The Eternal Champion didn't object to his plan, and instead, went along with it. While the chaotic brother went to assist Natalie and Nick, the more peaceful one made his way over to Caela and Michael. If they both fell, that would definitely lead to the world's balance being shifted. Hoodlums knew this very well, and was now worried of what would happen to Gamindustri, should the deadly couple take their lives somehow.

The Eternal Champion proved to be of great help, mainly in taking the God of Games by surprise. "Oh, are you asking to have your whole life taken away? That would surely ruin this world, rather than allow us to take it… nothing like a little chaos to clear things until we find you a good replacement, Eternal Champion." The God of Games lashed out on him, but the Eternal Champion turned into a light blue color.

Sinking into the ground like water and taking the form of a shark's fin, the Eternal Champion struck the God of Games. Michael took his chance to use psychic powers borrowed from Mewtwo, pulling away the hand that the God of Games was using against them, then letting Caela destroy it. Now the God of Games was left without any weapons, and missing a whole hand.

"Tsk… you had to do this at a moment where I can't regenerate as quickly?" The God of Games stared at his arm, no longer dripping with the green fluid. Unable to produce strings from his left hand again, and now his right was gone, he had no choice but to rely on basic, destructive energy attacks, even if his were lacking compared to the Lady of Games.

On that note, the Lady of Games felt she had found her match in this fight. Neither her, nor her opponents could get a proper hit on her. It wasn't like facing the CPUs, who were experienced and knew everything about her. That, plus the energy powering the Lady of Games was a slight advantage. Something that her opponents had as well. There wasn't any way they would defeat her though, not when the Lady of Games had plenty of backup plans in mind.

Nick and Natalie were doing surprisingly well when it came to their joint attacks. Their teamwork was nearly flawless. Natalie took a split second to figure out why, and then realized that Nick was doing attacks that mainly complimented hers, as if he was following her lead, or even knowing what she was going to do. It weirded her out a bit, but she was in no position to ponder any longer. She had a battle to win, and decided not to look into this gift horse's mouth; for now at least.

The Dark Champion noticed this, and was mainly trying to piece himself in with moments where the both of them were open, so this way, the Lady of Games would struggle directing her attacks at them. He didn't mind if the Lady of Games hit him next because of it, the Dark Champion was going to do what it took to protect them. Not that the Lady of Games planned on killing him anyway, she only cared about the gamers, and would rather see the Dark Champion's spirits crushed once they were defeated.

"Natalie, I have another idea I want to try!" Nick exclaimed, materializing Scorpion's chained kunai. She instantly knew what to do, grabbing onto the chain, and running close to the Lady of Games at Sonic's maximum speed. The Lady of Games just stood there, her arms bound along with her own tendrils, as the chains prevented nearly every part of her body from moving.

"Got 'er!" Natalie shouted, placing her hands on the Lady of Games, and trying to take her energy. Nick ran over, and did the same, while the Dark Champion kept his eye on the Lady of Games. She didn't move an inch, only watching the two gamers, but she was definitely planning something, due to her lack of objections.

That was when the Dark Champion saw it, as small as her actions were, it was definitely a trap. "Natalie! Nick! Get away from her!" The Dark Champion yelled, they didn't understand at first, until they noticed the Lady of Games finally opening her mouth, which had been unmoving the whole time, even when she spoke. They were mortified at what happened next, several tendrils began coming out of her mouth, reaching for the two gamers.

Nick and Natalie swiped at the tendrils with blades before they could latch on, then backed away, loosening the chains around the Lady of Games. Retracting the tendrils slowly, the Lady of Games raised her arms. "You cannot hold me down, without me doing the same." Her mouth began to close back up, almost like a machine. "I do not take kindly to my own energy being stolen by children who don't know what they're capable of. I am going to take back what belongs to me." The way she said it with zero emotion made it all the more disturbing.

The God of Games was having trouble with his three enemies. The Eternal Champion was a powerful foe, especially combined with the synchronized attacks of Michael and Caela. Some could even say he had more force than his own brother, despite being the peaceful one. With Caela using Aya's fan and Michael using Lucina's Storm Thrust, they blew the God of Games away, hoping to daze him before closing in to take his remaining power.

Flung over towards his own wife, the God of Games started to get back up. "I am afraid I… cannot do much with most of my power taken away." The God of Games then looked over to his lady, who didn't turn away from the battle. "Could you be a dear, and help me turn the situation? I would give you a hand, my love, but as you can see, I'm missing one." He laughed, but the Lady of Games didn't find it very funny.

He then silenced himself, a piercing feeling sent through his chest. His core was being drilled into by a single tendril.

The God of Games glanced back at his own wife, knowing it belonged to her. His mouth trembled, confused as to what the love of his life was doing, draining his life away. "My lady, my love, w-why… what are you doing?" He asked, everyone else stunned just as much as he was.

"What a fool you are, my foolish husband, who cannot think for himself. I was impressed when I was gone, and you had taken matters into your own hands, until you mentioned how you had been destroyed by mere mascots who held the very serum you created. More and more, I have trouble looking at your own face. You cannot even control the power of the New Game Plus, energy of an artifact we made together. Mere mortals have an easier time using it than you."

The God of Games didn't know what to say. It was so cruel, just like he himself was… no, just like her. He loved his lady so much. She was right, she was telling the truth. He really had faltered so much over the couple of years, and upon returning to the world with his wife. The "God" of Games… was still only the Lord of Games at heart, trying to act superior in front of many, until he didn't know what to do without his love's direction.

That's how their relationship had always been, her giving directions, such as sharing knowledge of Gamindustri with him.

"Let me take your energy, you do not know how to handle it, and will only lose more."

"Y-yes, of course. I will… put my life in your hands." The God of Games choked, being drained of whatever color his body had. The more pale he became, parts of him began breaking down into dust-like particles.

Everyone else had only one action in mind: attack her now, before the Lady of Games became too strong.

Nick and the Dark Champion started to charge, but the Lady used the God's body like a flail and hit them away. Natalie and the Eternal Champion caught them and stepped back while Caela and Michael provided cover fire, but it was too late.

"It isn't exactly fair you know. He got to be called the God of Games, with his beta form and title… but for me? I am only known as the Lady of Games… I had no true name, until that fool decided to refer to me as that. Considering my superior strength and intellect, should I not be known to all as the Goddess of Games?" She then began to levitate off of the ground, as if preparing to ascend. "Once I eliminate all who stand in my way, I shall refer to myself as such, perhaps."

"Eliminate all… that's a bold remark you made just now."

Everyone turned their attention to a large crowd, Blue Heart at the front, and being the one who spoke just then. "Before you ask, we put a stop to the damn core you set up in their world by working together!" White Heart snapped.

"We like, had some help that brought us all back to Gamindustri as well." Pink Heart continued.

"With the combined efforts of CPUs, mascots, and gamers… we shall defeat you!" Opal Heart declared.

The Lady of Games could only stare at all of the characters now present. "This is the grand finale… for all of you, that is. My words are not just mere talk—"

"Then prove it!" Black Heart shouted, angrily flying over to the Lady of Games, swinging her blade at the lone deity. Within an instant however, the Lady of Games teleported away from the CPU, reappearing near the gamers, who were still her primary target.

Her doll-like portions began to slowly open up, as if the Lady of Games was bursting with power. Tendrils were coming out of the opened up bits on her arms, looking like black worms, the gamers stared at her, wanting to attack, but also being disgusted at what was morphing before them. The tendrils were coming out of her mouth and eyes again, covering the pale white body and face belonging to her, almost like tissue.

They weren't the only ones too appalled to act. Sabre and Madi ran over to help the four of them, weapons in hand, took one look at the Lady of Games, then gagged. The forming "skin" began to bubble slightly, making it difficult to watch. "What a real nasty piece of work," Donte commented, "nothing some of us haven't seen before, but harder on everyone else, even after going through Hell, huh?"

"Except unlike in Hell, we can't look away from this. Not really a fair comparison." Reimu pointed out, hands trembling around her purification rod as she took out a bunch of ofuda. "Maybe I can try and stop this abomination with some seals, and lock her movements! After all, she's some kind of evil spirit in a way." Vince would have called Reimu out on how ridiculous that thought process was, but even he couldn't deny that this… thing, before them, was a horrible monster that should be exterminated.

Rin soon did the same, using many talisman as projectiles, as both seals latched onto the Lady of Games, it appeared effective, as she stopped what she was doing. "We got her! Now to just… huh?" Rin was ready to declare an early victory, but then noticed all of the seals being pushed inside of the blackened, fleshy substance. Both Reimu and Rin were speechless, at how it was simply absorbed, and probably destroyed.

"Evil spirit…? I am a deity, filled with power greater than yours. A lazy shrine maiden who does not hone her divine power, and the human reincarnation of a qilin who had been lost for years… really though the solution was so simple?" While there was a moment of silence between them, Donte found that the bullets of his two handguns were being absorbed as well.

It was made even worse when Kratos tried to swing his blades at the Lady of Games, and Captain Falcon tried to deliver a Falcon Punch. Kratos lost his weapons, having no choice but to let go of them instantly or his hands would have been caught. An annoying loss, since he had the Blades of Chaos for a long time, but was more concerned by Captain Falcon having his whole hand stuck inside of the Lady of Games.

Captain Falcon struggled to pull away from her, made worse when the Lady of Games began to mock him. "Those who decide to lay a hand on me… will join me. Become part of me, no different than the life of my idiot husband. Why don't you join? We can all make Gamindustri an ideal place, if we rid of the CPUs together." Her tone of voice wasn't helping, as usual, and just made Captain Falcon panic even further.

"You let him go!" Octoman shouted, trying to pull Captain Falcon out with the help of fellow Lowee residents. They were successful in removing him finally, but not before the Lady of Games tried to grab them next. Mega Man fired a charged shot at her to prevent the Lady of Games from doing so, but that was when…

" _ **WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG!?"**_

Everyone, especially the gamers, either winced or groaned at the voice they recognized all too well. The Lady of Games looked up, seeing an orange bobcat trying to dive down and kick her. "Guess who's baaaack!? No bad guys can stop me now!" Bubsy shouted, as his foot made contact with the Lady of Games, kicking hard enough to surely send her head flying.

… Instead though, his foot got caught, and he was absorbed in the Lady of Games immediately. "Wait, my contract didn't mention this!" Bubsy exclaimed, as soon as he left this world just as suddenly as he showed up.

"Oh, I forgot that I wasn't the only one brought back from this whole mess." Jack Walters mumbled, not really surprised at all by what had just taken place.

"We definitely can't be reckless and use any melee attacks on her." Michael stated, unsure what to do. "But now what? We can't take her power, she's absorbing anything coming her way, we're back at square one!… How does one even get absorption powers from all that energy anyway?"

Even the CPUs couldn't land anything that dented her, mainly the ones who at least had ranged attacks, no one was going to risk getting up close to the Lady of Games after what she had just done. "This is practically impossible, she's taking even my EXE Drive attack!" Black Sister complained, noticing the energy building up in the Lady of Games. "She's not even taking just New Game Plus stuff anymore, it's anything coming in contact with her!"

"Do you think… the Unity attack is worth risking on her at this rate? What do we even do?" Caela wondered, while Natalie noticed a glow surrounding nearly all of the CPUs, the light having some kind of metallic coloring, like bronze. Nick seemed to notice it also.

" _Players… you are thinking in the wrong direction."_

A voice spoke to the four gamers just now, but it wasn't one they recognized. It belonged to a man, and as the lights around the CPUs faded, a tall figure stood behind the four. Feeling his presence, they all turned around, and were startled by what they saw.

Taller than nearly everyone present, including Zeus, along with the Eternal and Dark Champion. Tanned skin, with brown, wavy hair. There was a visor of some kind over his eyes. Wires wrapped around his arms and connected to his knuckles, a white suit of armor, with angelic, metal wings that matched, that were bronze around the edges.

" _Taking in everything but the New Game Plus, is her mistake… you can use that against her. Destroy her from the inside."_

"Who… who are you and, how… why did you suddenly—" Nick was cut off by the man continuing.

" _I will lend you my power, even if it is mostly in the bodies of the current CPUs. With that, you can get close, and use the ability you refer to as 'Unity'."_

None of the gamers knew who he was, or why he was somehow part of the CPUs, but… he was also their only shot it seemed. The apparition soon vanished, and four portions of it came into contact with the gamers. Confused even more, they looked over to the CPUs. The Lady of Games nearly snagged Blue Heart when she was attempting to save Birdie, Little Mac, and Glass Joe.

Natalie sucked up whatever unsure feelings she had, and started to walk up to the Lady of Games. The Dark Champion noticed, and began to worry. "Natalie? What are you doing?" He questioned, seeing the other three follow her.

" _Players do not exist just to compete… but to also work together, and move forward."_ The voice said, while his essence was being carried by the gamers. _"I want the pieces of me… to do exactly that."_ The CPUs felt something odd about what was happening, then saw the gamers.

Their usual instinct was pushing the CPUs to yell at them to stop what they were doing, or call them out on how reckless this was. But another force, much like the one when facing that core, was giving them an overwhelming push to help instead. Purple and Blue Heart especially, understood what they were doing, as strange as it was.

Looking at the gamers, the Lady of Games began to extend the tendrils from the fleshy substance. "Did you not learn from before? Trying to absorb my power, or using your own against me, will only end in giving me more. Reaching for everyone, several mascots called out not only to the gamers, but the CPUs who joined them. The Lady of Games did not even act slowly, she was going to end their lives, knowing it was either a foolish sacrifice, or they were surrendering.

" **UNITY!"**

A wave of power began surging through the Lady of Games, and she thought nothing of it, taking it in, along with the bodies of those before her. "Your powers of the New Game Plus do nothing anymore, I will—" she cut herself off upon feeling something that wasn't right.

Firstly, the CPUs were combining their power against her, not just the gamers, which already felt a bit overwhelming. Made even worse, upon the fact that they were all part of someone she loathed— someone, who technically, was the one who killed her, by passing on his power to the CPUs.

And now… that power was being given to these mere mortals? Outsiders from a world only meant to play games?

This was the same feeling she had when she was killed before, one that filled her usually emotionless character, with nothing but hatred. "Marron," the Lady of Games murmured, "you're still trying to protect this world from those like me, even to this day? You will even entrust pathetic humans with your power?" Her voice went from the usually cold, collected, and frightening tone, to one that sounded agitated and bitter.

"Why won't you die already?" The Lady of Games hissed, as Marron's power began to overflow in her body. "Even when the Deity of Sin shattered you… you continue to haunt this world, that is no longer yours? You meddle with me, but leave the CFWs alone? Why, because they turned for the better!? They are parts of Arfoire, no different than how the CPUs are all parts of yourself!" She became louder with each sentence, but it didn't make anyone bat an eyelid.

The worst part was, the Lady of Games was not even being graced with an answer from the original god. Neither did the CPUs nor the gamers say a word to her. Someone as completely heartless as her, should not have been given anymore acknowledgment.

Not even a single goodbye, as her body began to combust. The Lady of Games began screaming, as lights began to shoot out of her body, making the flesh-like substance burst open. A disgusting, black and pink fluid came gushing out with each one, her mannequin body also breaking apart.

The combined Unity of the gamers, CPUs, and Bronze Heart himself, was too much for the Lady of Games to absorb. It was not like when the God of Games took the lives of the CPUs and oracles years back, he at least understood his limits.

Now, the Lady of Games was the one who was the fool. "This cannot be the end… I won't… perish to mortal humans!" She shouted, her body crumbling into dust right before everyone's eyes. This time, there would be no devices to bring her back to life either.

It was over. Nothing of the Lady of Games remained. Except for an elegant dress, white dust, the feathers that were once her hair, along with the things she had absorbed.

"You… you did it…!" Mario exclaimed.

"It's finally over!? Yes!" Ratchet cheered.

"Vert, Caela, are you alright?" Master Chief asked.

"Here I had feared that this was a lost cause." Kratos said, retrieving his blades from the dust pile that used to be the Lady of Games.

"Alright, I admit it," Reimu sighed, "you all did better than me."

"Poyoooo!" Kirby then ran up to Lowee's CPUs, hugging all of them, and then Michael as well, surprising him. Sonic and Arle watched on, unsure what to say, but they were pleased with the turn of events. During this, Conker pulled the unconscious Bubsy out of the way, tempted to axe the bobcat so he wouldn't annoy anyone ever again, only to be stopped by Banjo and Diddy Kong. Sei examined the remains belonging to the Lady of Games, while Pupuru proceeded to spit on them, something her father was rather surprised to see her do.

" _Thank you, players… for helping me keep the Odyssey at peace."_ The man voice spoke one last time.

"The Odyssey?" Natalie mumbled, connecting the dots to a console she knew once existed.

The First Console, and in this case, probably the first CPU in this world, that formed Gamindustri. Natalie didn't know the full story, and neither did the other three, but she assumed, that is who helped them just now. Perhaps, it was something best left unanswered for them.


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

 **Farewells**

Back at the portal, final preparations were being made. Everyone was making their final goodbyes as the gateway was about to be opened.

Caela was saying farewell to the Xbox mascots, making sure she said goodbye to all of them, not missing a single one. Blinx took this opportunity to shake her hand. "You know, you gave me a lot of hope. The way you stood up for all of us equally showed that even the most obscured of us are still remembered and liked, despite everything. There may be a future for us after all." Banjo and Cooper smiled in agreement, even Stubbs was happy to know he still had supporters.

Michael was busy with the Smash Bros. They were most likely the most energetic bunch, as seen by some trying to stop Captain Falcon from picking Michael up and carrying him on his shoulders. When Donkey Kong finally managed to pin him down, Mario walked up to Michael. "You were a great-a help, going above the-a call of duty. Lowee would have been overrun by Grodus had you not-a stepped in. I'm-a proud that there are players like you." Pikachu jumped up to give Michael a hug as the rest of the Smashers cheered.

Nick was talking with the All-Stars. He was speaking with Ratchet at the moment. "We owe you a huge debt. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be a team again. No, we wouldn't be a family again. You not only helped bring our friend back, you helped bring all of us back. And for that, we all thank you." Sweet Tooth stepped forward. "Even I was wrong about ya. I thought you were just a troublemaker at first, but now, you're welcome in my truck anytime." Nick nodded. "Thanks. Nice to know there are no hard feelings. Because you know, I felt like you were a little gypped in that episode of Death Battle."

They had a brief laugh and though Nick was smiling, some noticed something off in his eyes. "Are you ok?" Nick jolted up at Fat Princess's question. "Uh, yeah, I just spaced out a little. Sorry about that." Nathan took a closer look. "It looks like you were thinking of something."

"Or someone." Nick turned to where Dart was looking, only to hate how intuitive the All-Stars can be.

Natalie was with the SEGA characters, saying her goodbyes with them. She was in the middle of hugging Sonic when the Dark Champion approached her. "Natalie, I….I'm sorry. For everything. For lying, for ruining your friendship, for taking you away, for….for…" Natalie stopped him with a hug, surprising him. "It's all right. What matters is that you turned around and helped us in the end. I'm not mad at you, and neither is anyone else." The Dark Champion looked around, seeing the SEGA characters smile and nod. His surprise was continued by a sudden hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his brother, the Eternal Champion, also smiling and bearing no ill will. The Dark Champion never felt such happiness before, and was glad to have met Natalie, as she was the one who help him see the light.

Watching the scene, Nick knew he had to talk now, before they return, and everything turned back to the same that it was. Mustering every bit of courage he had, he walked over to Natalie.

"Natalie?" Natalie almost jumped, not so much at the sudden appearance of her friend, but him calling her by her real name. Caela and Michael noticed this too, and listened from a distance. "I've got something I've got to say, before we go back, before everything goes back to normal…..!" Natalie noticed that he was starting to shake a little, but it only piqued her curiosity more. "What do you mean by normal? I don't think that -"

"I meant before going back to how we acted. It's possible for that to happen. And I don't want that to happen. I never did!" Natalie's eyes widened at that. What was he talking about? "I knew that we were going down different paths. Our friendship was in danger as our opinions varied with the games. I wanted us to stick together. That's why I kept using that stupid nickname….!" Natalie was completely shocked at what he was saying, even more at the tears coming down his face. "I just wanted to keep something from the happier moments to keep us together. Because…...I didn't want to lose anyone…..I….I didn't want…..to lose you…."

Natalie was almost woozy from what Nick was saying. She never realized how much Nick valued the friendship the four of them had, or even how much she meant to to him…

…...just like how neither of them realized how close they were getting to each other, until their lips met. They were surprised at first, but their eyes closed as they wrapped their arms around each other, embracing the moment rather than running from it.

There was a wide range of reactions from all sides. Caela and Michael were completely shocked, but realized it made sense when they recollected on Nick's actions in Hell. Pupuru smiled, happy to see others finding love like she did. Dark Pit and Wolf gagged a little at the scene, not liking the "cutesy" emotions. Vince, Kazooie, and Captain Smiley started to snicker and would have burst out laughing if Michael and Caela didn't point their guns at them.

The Dark Champion was probably more shocked than anyone. The only one he grew to care for had her heart given to another. He knew he couldn't be with her, but the scene was still heartbreaking for him. But he wouldn't cause any chaos, not this time. He kept his peace as the kiss ended.

When their lips parted, Natalie was speechless. When she was able to form words again, they only came out in whispers. "Nick…...I….I…." Whatever Natalie wanted to say had to wait, as Nick suddenly fell down to the ground. Everyone surrounded him to see what was wrong, but Natalie was able to see what happened. "It's ok, he just fainted." A mixture of groans and laughs filled the next minute or two.

"Alright, enough of this mush," Lord Crump interrupted, joined by the many former villains, "you guys can save it for when you get back to your world. Everything's just about wrapped up here, isn't it?"

"Everything?" Scervo questioned. "What about Mercury?"

"She's going to be repaired, and joining her sister, with no memory of being under a delusional fool, that's what. None of you idiots will be seeing her anytime soon." Dr. Eggman replied, making Nefarious clench his metal fists. He would have screamed, but after the tender moment that just occurred, there was no point in ruining it.

"Natalie," Purple Heart spoke, turning back into her regular form; Neptune. "You've been a huge help this whole way, as have your pals! Y'know what… I gotta ask, what is it you want? I just feel like I should make it up to you! I'm willing to give in to a demand, but only one!" Nearly everyone was confused by this question, even Nepgear and Mr. Grimm. Natalie wasn't even sure what that meant.

What was something she could even ask for, that Neptune could grant? She was a goddess, yes, but her abilities were still kind of limited. Would it even mean anything back in Natalie's world? There were many possibilities, yet…

Natalie glanced at Arle. She had been through a lot, and was kind of in the dark for a long time— her "reboot" counterpart, Pupuru, even made it to the outside audiences in the west before Arle, and none of it was helped by that "Cranky Food Friends" drama that occurred a couple years ago.

"Is it possible for you… to have one of the Puyo games properly localized? And not reskinned for once?" Arle flinched when Natalie said those words, not expecting that request. "I mean, with Chronicle coming, and people being more aware—"

"Y'know, I've thought about it, Nat, and… sure! I'll see what I can do." Neptune replied with a wink, then laughing. "I'm gonna give it my all in the new year! I'm going to bring efforts into Sonic's next two games, Shenmue, and Puyo. No lazy Nep, because she's gotta balance being a mom, and pumping out good titles!"

Once again, many were shocked to hear that from Neptune, and as Natalie began helping Nick back up, her face began beaming, wondering if this would actually affect her world. "I have to try different things too. Not only with the next Legend of Zelda… but possibly with Mario. The New Super Mario Bros. stuff is becoming stale." Blanc sighed.

Noire and Vert seemed unsure about what they would do next, therefore, did not have much of an answer. Hoodlums stood there the entire time, examining the broken ring, which Conker looked over. "Sooo, what happened to the other wizard? Isn't that—"

"I'm going to bring him back!" Hoodlums snapped at the red squirrel, sliding on the ring which had no jewel in it. "I don't know how I will, but you'll be damned sure that Wizzro will come back. I'm not going to abandon my partners in crime, anymore!" Hearing him say that, Rin couldn't help but find that to be an odd change of his character. It was also ironic to Michael, since Wizzro would probably be the kind to betray Hoodlums more than anything. "And once I do, I shall come after you, rat! We will defeat you, no matter how many tries it takes!"

"Talkin' like some cartoon villain…" The Gunstringer commented.

"And as for you!" Hoodlums pointed his gloved finger at Caela, hand shaking just a bit. "Y-you're… leaving, aren't you? No chance of returning to this world?"

"Uh… yeah? Me, Michael, Natalie, and Nick gotta get back home. I don't think we could get back here, unless that one device from Gamindustri was used again. Or if Yukari meddles around." Yukari then smiled when she was mentioned, opening a gap.

A violet-colored portal, to be precise, filled with eyes that stared, and hands reaching out. "This method of travel isn't entirely safe to begin with~" Yukari teased, while Birdie took notice, now realizing who was responsible for his disappearance.

"W-well then… good riddance! You won't be meddling in my schemes anymore this means!" Hoodlums spat, turning around to take his leave. "I have… nothing more to say to you, foolish outsider!" As Michael gave the wizard an irritated glance, Caela didn't seem to get why Hoodlums was acting that way. In a puff of magic smoke, the wizard disappeared, without another word.

"You say cartoon villain, Gunstringer," Conker mumbled, "I say he acts more like one of those snotty, Japanese schoolgirls. Or more accurately, Lastation's CPU." The undead marionette got a laugh out of this, while Noire glared at them both.

Birdie continued staring at Yukari, who noted the young man's presence. "Ah, do I know you? You seem fascinated by my power to manipulate boundaries." Little Mac, Mario, Kirby, Glass Joe, and King Hippo stayed close by, as did Bleu.

"It… it was you! Wasn't it!?"

"Hm? What are you talking about? Have I met you?"

"Before I fell into their world," Birdie began recollecting every memory he had, "I saw a portal filled with eyes, and the hands grabbed me! Are you the one who did that!?"

Amused even further, Yukari began to chuckle. "Sorry, I don't remember the faces of those forgotten in Gamindustri. My job is to make them… _**disappear.**_ "

Birdie, Rin, Sabre, and Madi all shuddered. If Hoodlums had not left, he probably would have been upset as well. The Anglar Emperor hid behind Zazan, trying to ignore the youkai's remarks. "Yes, if you are forgotten for a long period of time, and are no longer acknowledged, I can make them vanish. Gamindustri has a limited amount of space, you know. There are many in this world who cease to exist, and are now stuck between the many dimensions I have access to."

Her expression began to darken a bit, taking note of the three "forgotten" heroes. "Actually, I do not think I ever asked them to leave their closing space. As amusing as the turn of events were, that angel who froze me, he was the one that let you go. This place needs balance after all… should I fix that?" Yukari's cheerful expression, combined with her tone of voice, which sounded sinister— yet taunting, gave everyone the chills, except for Reimu.

"You leave them be, right now." Fox demanded, tempted to go for his blaster, although a tad uncertain. "Sabre and the Anglar Emperor aren't going anywhere."

"Neither is Madi, for that matter." Clank objected, while Ratchet reluctantly prepared to take out his OmniWrench.

Before the Gunstringer could say a word to defend Rin, Reimu sighed in annoyance. "Cut it out Yukari, they aren't used to your jokes." Yukari laughed in response, mainly at the reactions she got out of everyone. "She's not really going to do anything, she's too lazy. Yukari also knows it would mean a fight would happen. A real pest, she is." On one hand, everyone were relieved it was a cruel joke, on the other, they almost couldn't tell, which was worrisome.

"Darn, I was almost hoping to be entertained, even if everyone is tired of all the fighting." Yukari giggled one last time, then began to enter the gap she opened. "I leave the rest to the CPUs, in that case. Far less work for me anyway~" It instantly closed up once she had entered, leaving many to be puzzled.

"I… guess zat answers ze question on how Birdie got to ze human world." Bleu said while shrugging, looking back at the four gamers. "I think we've had enough chit-chat, non? You all need to get home."

They all smiled at Bleu, agreeing with her, as they made their way to Planeptune's Basilicom. This would be the last time they would see it as well. Nearly everyone began going their ways, back to their nations, except for the CPUs, who accompanied the gamers.

Just before leaving though, Sei grabbed Radec's shoulder. "So," he said, looking serious, "what's this about you and my daughter? The flaming clown told me about something going on."

"Uh," Colonel Radec looked over to Sweet Tooth. Thankfully, he was distracted by Flandre, so Sweet Tooth didn't catch the glare Radec shot at him. "I can explain, you see—"

"Have you become my son-in-law just yet?" Sei asked, excitedly. "I'm thrilled to get one you know! We'll get to do all sorts of things together as a family— I almost thought I never thought I would see my daughter again, much less with a boyfriend— or are you her husband now?"

Colonel Radec was too stunned to answer any of those, the only thing on his mind right now, was strangling Sweet Tooth when he got the chance…

—

Nepgear turned on the device, opening a portal leading to the world of reality.

It was hard to see the gamers go for real now. Neptune was happy to have met Natalie, and wanted to meet again, when Angela grew up a bit more. Noire wanted to be Nick's friend, but was too prideful to say anything like that. Blanc hoped she didn't disappoint Michael in the future. Finally Vert, wished Caela would stick around, just for the sake of having someone that was like a little sister, as always.

The other CPUs didn't know what to make of it. Taigara didn't even bother joining in to say goodbye, being rude and selfish as usual. Bleu thanked them for getting her memories back, and returning her to Gamindustri where she belonged, as did Neya, who missed her friend. Pipin was just happy to have the world at peace once more.

"Listen, you kids… don't stop doing what you love together, alright? I shouldn't have to repeat what you already know and all, but," Neptune chuckled, "stick together like us CPUs do, even in our rough moments, and you'll go far I'm certain."

They all smiled at her, and nodded. The Dark and Eternal Champion didn't say a word as they remained close by, however, the gamers noticed the two, and waved at them.

"Outsi—" the Dark Champion quickly corrected himself, "gamers… farewell."

With that last word, Natalie, Nick, Michael, and Caela started to leave. The portal closed up, the moment they all stepped back into their world. Nepgear waited a few seconds, which felt almost like a whole minute to her, before turning off the device.

Hopefully now, Gamindustri would no longer clash… with another realm.

—

…

It had been only a few days, and Gamindustri had changed quite a bit.

Ever since Nick came in, the All-Stars were brought back together, and started getting along again. It was all fun, especially for Toro Inoue and PaRappa, the both of them had missed everyone.

Feeling his adventures were finally done with, no other evil to deal with… Sir Daniel Fortesque went back to rest, right as Noire was considering closing off a section of Lastation as well. Zarok felt unsatisfied with it, wanting to wake him back up, but knew that it was pointless.

In such a case, the wizard also left, deciding to join Morrigan, Valvatorez, and Laharl back to Makai; the demon realm. His reason was to learn even more powerful magic, and make it his new home. No one had any objections, but Sir Daniel would still be missed by many.

Although, now Madi was with the Playstation All-Stars, mainly helping P-Man. Every now and then, she would speak with Ratchet and Clank, getting along much better with them, seemingly over her previous grudge. Madi even apologized to PaRappa for kidnapping him, as she was merely doing as she was told. He understood, and didn't seem to to be upset about it.

"Having that PS4 game and the movie was fun, buuuut I'd rather be just chilling with everyone." Ratchet said, sitting on the couch with Clank, Daxter, Sackboy, Little Sister, and Chou-Chou. "Can't help but think about what Nefarious is up to right now though, he just kinda left, like always."

"Personally, I am curious about that Mercury individual. She may have antagonized this place, injured Noire and Uni, but I cannot help but have a shred of pity for her, being that her core was removed by… er, how would we describe that robot with the purple hair?" Clank asked, looking at Daxter, in hopes of him describing Lumine.

"A no good, pretty-boy, traitor that looks like a lady, backstabs their friends, and rightfully got their butt kicked!" Daxter shouted, pumping his fist. "I mean sheesh, y'know, Nefarious and those other bots were sour, but obviously not like that all the time— but that guy!?"

"Truly, he was a coward." Nariko agreed with Daxter for once. "He was almost as bad as the one who dared call himself an angel, or the two deities that dared to defy us all."

"What about that old man, what was his name? Palethorn?" Nathan Drake wondered. "The guy was left downstairs! Didn't get any mercy like that weird robotic thing that had beef with the gecko. We just kinda left him there."

Before long, everyone started joking around with possibilities, as well as pestering Kratos and Crash about their games. Kratos would have a new adventure, Crash would have a remaster, and PaRappa was to get one soon along with LocoRoco and Patapon.

Even when there were days where the All-Stars wouldn't agree with each other, or things would seem like they were at a low. Everyone would be there for another, nothing could bring them apart now.

—

Blanc hoped to sweep in a whole grab of shares with her next announcement; the Switch, along with the games it would have. Mario, Peach, and Bowser were all excited for it, as it appeared to be something brand new.

In the same vain as Hyrule Warriors, Fire Emblem would be getting a treatment where all of their games would collide. There was a rumor going around that originally, it was going to be Star Fox getting such a treatment, but Blanc had turned it down, because of her being uncertain about the series, since the last game had done so poorly. It annoyed the Star Fox, Star Wolf, and even the reformed Anglars alike, but the Fire Emblem characters were very happy.

Sabre sympathized with them, despite his rocky start, saying it was most likely for the best. "Your fans are picky, almost as bad as the handlers, you know that?" Sabre said, accompanied by other Nintendo characters. "First they find one is too different, so they're like, 'we want to blow stuff up like before'. They get that, but they say 'no, only in the Arwings, and not a linear story'. They get that again, 'no, go back to 64'. Blanc does it twice for you guys," Sabre sipped his beer, "and it doesn't work. It's either she's at fault, or these people with their nostalgia goggles are at fault. I think it's both."

Even though Sabre's wording was a bit harsh, Fox didn't disagree with him. Captain Falcon accepted the idea of not getting another F-Zero title, as did Octoman, and they were now okay with that, as long as no one disturbed them. Little Mac and Birdie would rather have things end comfortably. New titles such as Splatoon were successful, and were getting another chance to shine with the new console on its way.

"Say, there's just one thing on my mind," Shulk wondered, "that papery guy with the dome for a head… what happened to him? His right-hand man and a bunch of his minions pretty much ditched him. Is he…?"

"According to Lord Crump and the Anglar Emperor, he got out of the depths eventually, before the ones in charge could see he was laying there." Princess Zelda answered, blowing the hot air off of her tea cup, before taking a small drink. Princess Peach, Rosalina, Palutena, and Lucina were also enjoying the hot drinks, while King Dedede burnt his tongue. "He has most likely returned back to his world, knowing he cannot change the fate given to him. Grodus should learn how powerful the memories of his appearance were… he may not return, but he doesn't need to."

"Wise words, definitely ones that would come from she who wields the Triforce of Wisdom." Palutena chuckled, as she then looked outside the window of the Basilicom, watching the snow fall. Each flake touched the ground softly, a beautiful sight to behold. Kirby was enjoying every moment of it, tempted to run outside and play.

"Sabre, do you look forward to finally meeting your, uh," Falco paused, unsure how to word it, "I guess, adopted sister? It was your dad that originally took her in, wasn't it?" Unsure what he should say, or think for that matter, Sabre just shrugged. It was probably going to be awkward, considering all that has happened, but perhaps it wouldn't be too bad.

Like everyone else thinking of Lowee's future, Sabre's main thought was he would just see what would happen. Although, now that he thought about it… when Birdie confronted the youkai who manipulated borders, she said she made certain characters disappear from Gamindustri.

Could Randorn have possibly…?

"Before I can think of meeting her for the first time," Sabre got up, "there's still something I'm wondering about. Birdie, I want you to come with me." The blonde boxer's attention snapped to Sabre, who also looked at Fox and Falco. "Didn't the Star Fox team… also have two other members?"

Fox and Falco looked at each other, not understanding what Sabre was getting at. "What are you getting at— hey! Sabre!" Fox called out, as Sabre and Birdie began to leave.

Yukari Yakumo, still had many questions to answer for those residing in Lowee, it seemed. But they would be lucky if they could even find her.

"I can't help but think," Ganondorf said to himself, "what that one foolish wizard thinks he will accomplish with the cursed ring." An amused grin formed on his face, oblivious to Rom tugging on his cape lightly, trying to get his attention.

—

Leanbox, as calm as it was before the ordeal even started. Not much change happened at all, beyond one project by a third party being cancelled. There was a bit of backlash from the decision, but followers of Vert did not seem to pay much mind to it, believing there to be a reason.

Both Madotsuki and Jack Walters were back, and getting proper therapy for their issues. Conker was getting some too, mainly to stop his drinking problem, and so he could address everything that stressed him out. Reimu still wasn't sure if she should follow most of her friends to Lastation. But for now, she was very comfortable where she was. Maybe it was just the fact she was lazy, but it was also the fact that throughout the whole adventure, she had gotten closer to those in Leanbox. Sure, Reimu did not always agree with them, and was on the lookout for any behavior that would threaten humans, but otherwise, she had been less hostile to non-human individuals. Still wary, but it was an improvement overall.

Stubbs and his lover were not as restless as they were before. Perhaps it was the amount of seals taking effect on them, but they were notably far less aggressive compared to back then. Everyone else was at ease, knowing that all had returned to normal… not to mention, they also now had a nurse on the premises.

Rin Satsuki didn't want to worry about being a protagonist as great as Reimu anymore. In fact, as fun as it was, it also was a bit stressful, considering the nonsense with Samael and all. A quiet life as a nurse, who used her powers to rid of any illness or injury, and brought good luck, while perishing wicked spirits, seemed much more ideal for her. She wasn't lazy like Reimu though, because if Rin was ever needed for a serious incident, she was willing to step in to give it her all.

"I'm not sure whether I should finally rest in peace," the Gunstringer mumbled, "or I stick around, for Leanbox's sake, in the very rare instance I'll be needed for a continuin' story. Splosion Man got one, sorta, but Smiley didn't. Doubt they'll do somethin' with me again, considerin' I involved the Kinect." He leaned against the wall, hat tilted downwards.

"Why do you say that?" Rin asked.

"My traitorous posse is done with, Gamindustri is safe, all the bad-guys either turned or were left ta die… and I don't need ta be watchin' over ya anymore, do I?"

"Well," Rin thought it over, "stick around for everyone's sake then!"

"Whaddya mean by that? Ain't my purpose ta be here kinda done?"

"No, I mean we all like having you around! Is that a job for you, in a way? To be our friend? That could be a whole purpose on its own!… Unless," Rin then gave a worried look, "you're saying this whole time, the reason you were walking around, is because you knew your posse would be brought back and used against you? And that this world would be in danger?"

The Gunstringer paused for a few seconds, then started laughing. Rin puffed up her cheeks in annoyance, pouting at him. "If that were the case, my soul woulda left my body a while ago, cherry pie! Thanks fer makin' me laugh though."

"Hey now, for all we know, she could be right." Vince spoke next, sitting next to the Gunstringer. "I mean, I always stay here in case some other crazy, nonsensical storyline happens, don't I? Maybe that's your purpose, or the other thing she suggested about being our undead buddy."

"I don't anyone leaving agaaaain," Ichigo whined, "first it was Madotsuki and Walters, then we got them back! I wouldn't want Gunstringer to go away too."

Chuckling again, the Gunstringer gave in. "Alright, compadres, if that's what ya really want. I'll see that I stay here for as long as I can… Huh, now that I think about it, weren't other characters besides Walters who were struck with, that bizarre serum thing?"

"The bobcat, but he returned," Glacius replied, "and ended up being swallowed by the Lady of Games, but he is fine again, for now. There was also a grey rat… Walters, can you confirm if he returned?"

"Yes, he did." Jack Walters answered.

It seemed there were no worries left to be had in Leanbox. Master Chief was unsure if he should ask the Gunstringer about his old posse and El Diablo. They had unwittingly followed Samael's words, and… perhaps it was best not to mention it at all. They all wanted to forget the angel, especially. It was better to bring his attention to someone else. "Madotsuki, you're not… going to do that again, are you?"

Laying against Walters' leg, Madotsuki just stared at Master Chief.

She opened her eyes, not looking as tired as they used to. A smile began to spread on her face— one that didn't seem weak, but rather, was bright as the first sun of spring. Tears were in the corners of her eyes, but they were not from being tired, or upset.

"I'm not afraid anymore." Madotsuki said, her voice being more clear and optimistic than ever. "I want to go outside and make friends… like you all have."


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

 **Aftermath**

"How in the world did you manage to find me here?" Yukari questioned, waking up from a power nap, to see those standing before her. "I thought for sure that my tools would have kept outsiders at bay."

"We had some directions, but that's not important right now." Birdie said, trying to keep his eyes on the youkai. "What's important, is what you said about ridding of certain characters."

"What did you do to my father?" Sabre demanded to know, slowly taking out his sword.

"Hmmm… He looked like you, right? I think I made him vanish—"

"I'm taking him back." Sabre interrupted, unsheathing his blade, while Birdie prepared his fists. "You took two of Fox's friends away. I didn't like him at first, you know… but… I've grown to admire him, and I don't want him to constantly have his fear of losing teammates, when I know you were the one responsible for it."

"And… how do you know this?" Yukari wondered, her attention being grabbed.

"Because while I was put away, I met them," Sabre replied, "Miyu and Fay?… What you did to Randorn and I, you also did to them. I'm taking them all back from you, by force." Yukari laughed, even when the sword was almost pointing at her throat.

"Okay, okay. You know, there really isn't enough room in this world, it can only have so much. But if you care so much about them…" Several gaps began to open up, even one formed around her, allowing Yukari to change her outfit, one using to command her shikigami. "I will give you two a fair fight for their lives, which do not belong in Gamindustri."

Birdie tightened his boxing gloves, ready for a fight well beyond their imagination, while Yukari was amused by this. Two characters, not using the spellcard system, going against her. She was going to fool around with them, for certain, and whether or not they won, both parties would be in a surprise.

—

He had been fiddling with the ring for days on end, trying to find a suitable replacement for the gem that was inside. Nothing seemed to have worked, no matter what Hoodlums tried, until upon enlisting help, he was brought something quite special.

A green gemstone. Not a red kind, which made Hoodlums unsure, but… he felt a powerful presence around it. "I do not understand why this is so important to you, but my… associate, sensed an 'unnatural feeling' in this stone. It better be good enough for what you're offerring, wizard."

The man wore a black hat and a cape, a red scarf was around his neck. He appeared to be pale, had black hair, and had fangs that stood out each time he opened his mouth. "Yeah, yeah, bat-boy! Shut up, and let me try to fix this thing." Over time, Hoodlums had made adjustments to the magic ring. Mainly, the section that would hold a jewel, was shaped more like some kind of cross, most likely in Hoodlum's attempt to fix it without the jewel.

Using his magic, Hoodlums inserted the green gemstone into the ring, in a forceful manner. There was a moment of silence, Hoodlums was ready to slam his gloved fist on the table and curse out, until some sort of dark aura made the ring begin to shift.

It was alive. Hoodlums felt his face start beaming, while the man readied his weapons, in case something bad happened. A hand formed, as did a body made up of rags… However, rather than the usual, purple cloth, the rags were magenta and green this time. A single eye glowed from inside the ragged hood, which turned into a smile.

"Hmm… Now, who is this before me? Gehehe! Did you give me this form?" Hoodlums was shocked at the response. This character talked like, looked like, and even sounded just like Wizzro. Yet, he didn't recognize Hoodlums.

"Me?" Hoodlums snapped, "Idiot! What's your name!?"

"Goodness, no need to be so rude! I… don't know my name. How troubling."

"Wha—!?" Hoodlums took a moment. "Wizzro, your name is Wizzro, got it?"

"Is it now? Actually… it does sound familiar." He murmured to himself.

"I'm Hoodlums, your partner— uh, superior!"

"Are you now?" Wizzro replied, thinking it over. "Hm, I feel like we have met… and that it isn't far off."

Good, Hoodlums was making progress with jogging his memory back in. "Do the names Cia and Volga ring any bells to you?" There was a pause, allowing Wizzro to think about it. After a few seconds, he finally responded.

"Feh, never heard of them." This came as quite a shock to Hoodlums. Wizzro could feel something familiar at his own name, along with Hoodlums' role in his life, but not his former allies? Perhaps, this version of him could only remember recent events.

"How about… Sleeping Princess?" Wizzro shook his head. "Samael? Phantom God? Dark Champion?" Again, he shook his head. "Natalie?"

There was another pause, then a laugh this time. "Now that one definitely strikes me as familiar, and I can't figure out why! Ah well. Why did you ask me all of these questions? Are they important or something?"

"No, not at all! They're just some damn, pathetic weaklings!" Hoodlums cackled, directing Wizzro to the dark-looking man. "This man here, is your partner from now on too! His name is Sepet… he's on a hunt for rare monsters— not including you. I paid him quite a bit to help us against our enemies in Leanbox."

"Gyehehe! Interesting, he looks like he hasn't gotten sunlight in years!"

Sepet merely blinked, unamused. "I can hear you just fine, you ragged ring." He mumbled.

It seemed as if those in Leanbox would have to deal with something after all. Yet, it was in the form of a cartoonish, vulgar wizard, an entity who was revived, and someone completely new.

—

"Sister…"

A metal hand shook Mercury. "Sister!" Mars called out, forcing Mercury to turn on. She looked around, staring at Mars, who shouted at her, unsure what to say or do. "It's so nice to finally meet you, for really reals! This is the first time, uhh, yup! Definitely!"

Mercury got up, not responding to what her sister was saying, which annoyed Mars. "Hold the phone, why are you taller than me? Aren't you the younger sister?… Wait, we're robots. I guess this is the price we pay for being based off CPUs and all!"

She couldn't remember a thing. Mercury felt only one thing programmed into her, and that was to obey all orders from Dr. Eggman. No one else, as her memory had been wiped clean.

"Now I get to show you all my memes, sis!… Sis?" Mars watched as Mercury left the room, wanting only to speak with her creator. "Aw geez, she's still cold, even now! I thought our master fixing her would have changed that, at least."

Mars only sounded miffed by it though. In reality, she was happy to have her sister back. No longer was she under someone else's orders, nor was her own power being used. Mars was okay with that, because even if they were just robots, not meant to feel, she cared about Mercury.

—

On the flip side of things, Dr. Nefarious had not been doing so well. Lumine betrayed him, Mercury was reclaimed by Eggman, he was back at square one. He almost didn't want to try anymore.

It was depressing for Scervo to look at. Nefarious would sit there, and just watch ridiculous soap operas of some kind— until he finished just about every season of what he was watching, and it went on hiatus. Once that happened, Nefarious screamed about it, froze up, and Lawrence had to step in to slap him.

"Is there any way to make him feel better? It's kinda upsetting to see him like this and all." Dreadfuse said. The only one not sympathetic about the whole thing, was Clunk, who was just annoyed that Mercury wasn't around anymore. Even Lawrence was being nicer about it than him, and usually, he was first to make fun of Nefarious.

Not this time though. Between this, and the time they lost someone rather valuable a couple of years ago, Lawrence couldn't make any remarks about it that were witty. He didn't want to, it would be too low of him.

… Lost someone valuable…

The moment that those words came into his mind—

"Finally… caught up…"

Everyone except for Clunk collectively froze at that voice. It… couldn't be, could it?

Standing there, the blue maid's dress rather torn, messy green hair, looking like she ran through storms just to reach the base, robot parts sticking out of her artificial skin. Somehow, the New Game Plus, must have granted another wish to bring someone back. And that someone was…

"Ruukoto?"

Dreadfuse started to jump up and down excitedly. "It's her! It's her! The nice lady robot that helped save me! She didn't blow up either! Yay!"

Scervo decided to not correct his brother, seeing how it would ruin the mood. "Still, can someone pinch me to make sure I'm not dreaming? This is too good to be true."

"Pinching wouldn't do a thing, you idiot. You don't even have any skin to pinch." Scervo glared at Clunk, really tempted to squish him under his boot. Lawrence was already out of the room, running towards Nefarious to get him.

"Sir, you must see this immediately, it's important!"

"Not now Lawrence, I don't want to be disturbed."

"This requires your attention now."

"No."

"But Sir…."

" **HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY - "**

" _I'm sorry Lance, but I fell in love with your evil double from the other dimension!"_

"Well, that's one way to do it." Lawrence commented while dragging Nefarious back to the others, hoping nothing bad happened in just 30 seconds.

Scervo was now trying to smash Clunk, with Dreadfuse cheering him on just cause. Ruukoto was trying to calm the both of them, but Clunk's supposed advances just ticked off Scervo even further. They were about to fire their weapons when -

" _Oh Janice, how cruel fate is, for I have also fallen in love with your evil double!"_

Everyone turned to see a glitching Nefarious being dragged in by Lawrence. "It was the only way I could get him here." Lawrence steadied Nefarious and readied to smack him so his eyes would land in the right place. "Here we go."

" **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTT!** Wait, where am I? What's….going….on….." His words slowed as he saw Ruukoto at the other side of the room. Before anyone could blink, if robots could blink, Nefarious was already at the other side of the room, holding Ruukoto in a massive hug. Everyone was surprised, but not as much as Ruukoto.

"D…...Doctor…..?"

"I'm so happy you're alive! I don't even care how! Just that you are!"

Positive emotion from Nefarious was a rare sight, ones that he expressed through something that resembled affection was even rarer. Ruukoto was shocked— not literally at least— but she enjoyed it greatly, especially since it has been a few years since her departure.

"But… I still don't understand, if this is really real!" Scervo objected, having finally put Clunk inside of a trash can, the fourth time this week. "How did she—"

"It's… a long story, Scervo." Ruukoto replied, not even once pushing away the evil, robotic doctor that was clinging to her. "All I know is, I booted up in some kind of nuclear plant, and spent the last couple years trying to get out and finding out where you all were, so I could see the doctor again." She smiled brightly, looking at her superior, who continued to hold on. "What happened while I was gone?"

"Er, well," Nefarious finally pulled away, trying to snap out of being emotional, Ruukoto seemed disappointed when he finally let go.

"Should I give her an abridged version, sir?" Lawrence asked.

"No! I'm going to explain every little thing, in full detail, without commentary from the peanut gallery!"

Perhaps, Dr. Nefarious would be back into the evil, world domination business much sooner than he anticipated. Especially now that one of the original members of their group was back.

—

Hell wasn't a place that was exactly peaceful, but when its management was back in power, things were set back to normal. Death and Gregg managed to retrieve the wandering souls of the Gunstringer's traitorous posse, and returned them to El Diablo. Normally, he wouldn't have given anyone besides his wife a second thought, but figured that things would be more lively if he gave all of them new bodies, with the help of Satan and Hecatia.

Just like before, they were sent to the lowest circle in Hell, but El Diablo made sure that they didn't freeze over completely. They were wronged by Samael, in a way, and he was going to give them a little bit of freedom for that alone.

Lich, Marilith, Kraken, and the Tiamat were back in their places after their defeats. They were comfortable with what was going on, and only went with the plans in the first place because they are blind to follow those who summon them. In this case, it was the Phantom God who did it, indirectly.

"My queen, you and your amigos aren't allowed to do something like that again, got it? We were all being used." El Diablo said to the Lady of the Dead, who cackled in response. "That angel threw you under the bus, just to set me off more than before."

"I can't guarantee it~" Despite her words, chilling as always, El Diablo could tell she wasn't serious.

"Mictecacihuatl, you and your friends should just cut out messing with the cowboy." El Diablo replied to her. "He believes that he's done with seeking revenge, so it's best not to set him off again. I don't want to have to ask Hecatia to use her magic to create another body for you. Cause to much trouble, and… I dunno what she'll do."

It wasn't often that anyone used the Lady of the Dead's real name, only El Diablo really did it though, as he knew just about everything there was to know about his voodoo priestess of a queen. They were all considerably lucky, as were the four fiends of the elements.

One who didn't get off so easily however, was Lord Palethorn, sent back to the bottom circle and rather than being frozen, was pushed around by the Goddess of Hell; Hecatia. She figured that with all he had done, that Palethorn should start doing some labor if he wanted a little more respect, and didn't want to be froze. Normally, Palethorn would have refused and then say he'd rather be frozen again, but there was a chance he could rise in power as an authority in Hell, rather than just one atoning for his sins if he helped enough…

Really though, it was just the same weakness he had against Chou-Chou's sadistic form: Hecatia was a lady who was in charge, and made it very apparent with her conflicts of power struggle against Satan. Sometimes made even worse with El Diablo, but he was clearly beneath those two in the rankings.

"So, what of Lumine's remains? They are down here, correct?" Death asked Satan. He was taking a break from having to do clean-up work with Komachi and Gregg, and figured he might as well ask the Dark Prince about the traitorous reploid.

"They are in a sleeping mode. At some point in the distant future, his parts and AI will resurface somehow, he will fight the reploids of that era," Satan lightly casted magic over a sheet of ice, revealing Lumine's location, "he will manipulate the events that are happening, send half of himself inside of a particular reploid… It's a vicious cycle, really. One he cannot win, and one he is aware of. Fate cannot stop him, it seems."

That was a troubling thing to hear, there was no way to permanently get rid of Lumine, after all he has done. Still, it would be hundreds of years before that happened at least. "Unrelated, I assume you are excited for the fact Planeptune's CPU—"

"Yes! Of course I am!" Satan cheered, startling Death. "I may be called 'Dark Prince' once again because of the sensitive subject, but I welcome any new audiences that will witness my arrival once more! I'll have Arle and Carbuncle at my side, at some point, for certain!"

… He seems to have forgotten how Arle is seeing someone else, but Death wasn't going to ruin Satan's good mood. It wouldn't be nice to do that.

—

Considered to be parallel to Hell, was Makai; the demon realm, had also become very peaceful. Morrigan took her spot back in the Aensland throne, and Laharl returned to being an overlord. Gabriel and Uriel decided to return as well, with the other angels who were banished to the demon realm. It may have been Samael's fault that they were there in the first place, but they had grown comfortable enough to call it their home, especially Gabriel.

"I'm deeply sorry that Samael was responsible for you being exiled."

Zarok lifted his eyes from the book, seeing the green-haired angel with braided hair before him. "I don't say it often, he wronged us all, that was one thing… I did not think he would go and intentionally start a war, by messing with your life." Uriel mumbled.

"Not a problem, dear boy." Zarok replied, closing the book. It was so comfortable in Makai, that he now understood why Gabriel and Uriel didn't want to go to the heavens. "I should have tracked down the one responsible for ratting me out, but I was too angry with King Peregrin. Not once would I have ever believed that an angel ratted me out… had I learned, I would have turned this all back around. Can't be helped now, can it?"

"Indeed, not… On that note, however, the tale has intrigued Makai's creator; the goddess of this world. She would like to speak with you, Morrigan, me, and Gabriel on the matter."

"Really now?"

"She had been unaware of Samael's trickery, and figured it was that us angels from Celestia were banished down here for knowing too much. You will be a major key in explaining Samael's sins." Uriel spread his wings out, preparing to leave.

Zarok rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "What is it, some kind of courtroom to declare him guilty? He's already dead…" He shook his head, and decided to accompany the angel. Hopefully it wasn't such a bore, and he didn't anger Makai's goddess while testifying against Samael.

After this though, Makai would catch a break, as its biggest troublemaker was gone forever.

—

"Wake up, son-in-law!"

Radec instantly groaned when he heard Sei calling him that, and shaking him. He wasn't even married to Sei's daughter yet, so he didn't understand why he was being called that. Opening his darkened eyes, things were a blur for a few seconds, then Radec saw the adult sorcerer.

… Carrying fishing gear, at that.

"How about we go up to one of those lakes and see if we can catch something? Better to do it early, since I hear it's going to start snowing today! It might be a bit chilly, but I figure we usually wear heavy outfits to begin with!"

So far, living with Pupuru's father had been a ride. Sei didn't get in the way by any means, and often left them alone, but he always took the chance to bond with both his daughter, and Colonel Radec. The latter was obviously not used to it at all. He couldn't figure it out either, thinking there was some kind of ulterior motive.

"Why are you doing this?" Radec grumbled, rubbing his eyes and sliding on his slippers.

"Hm? What do you mean, 'why'?" Sei laughed at the question, putting the fishing poles down to lean against the wall. "I thought it would be fun, and I've always wanted a son-in-law, didn't I say?"

Was he not bothered by how the fact Radec was probably less than twenty years younger than him? There was no reason to treat the colonel like he was younger than thirty, especially when he was unmasked right now.

"You look like you really could use a real father figure in your life, I don't know why." All of Radec's thoughts froze when Sei said that just now. "When I asked Pupuru if you had parents, she told me… it was a sensitive subject for you— I know I probably shouldn't be bringing it up now, but I guess I care too much. Go ahead and attack me for it if you want." He tried to laugh it off again, but Radec just stared at him.

Sei was… just trying to be the proper parent figure Radec wanted. The one he wanted respect from. It seemed that Sei definitely respected him too, with how impressed he was by Radec's studies, and his history in battle.

Getting up from the bed, Radec stood up, firmly. "I'm not upset at you for learning of such, do not worry." Looking over next to him, Radec saw that Pupuru hadn't budged at all, able to sleep through the conversation taking place. "What about—"

"We'll surprise Pupuru with the biggest catch we can get. I know she loves to sleep in!" As he said that, Radec carefully got out of the bed, unsure if he should be embarrassed by the fact the sorceress was holding onto his arm, made worse when Sei started giggling.

"Very well. We are definitely returning if there's nothing to be captured though. I'm not a patient man."

"So I've been told." Sei shrugged, excited to have quality time with a possible, future in-law.

—

Bleu had her nation restored, much like Neya, Pipin, and Taigara. It was a land that Adalnan had been watching over for years, just as she had wished, a couple of years ago. Adalnan, the oracle of Deeyo, thought he was dreaming when Bleu returned. She had acted as his mother figure for so long, and to see her leave upon using the New Game Plus, was like having her die. He had been watching over the place. He was usually so quiet, but right then and there, upon meeting her once more, Adalnan felt he was going to cry.

It turned out that over the years, there had been a few residents in the newly formed Deeyo, even if it was only Adalnan. Croc, from Legend of the Gobbos, despite never appearing on a 3DO console, felt more welcome there than anywhere else.

Ace from Space Ace, Dirk the Daring from Dragon's Lair, and Lance Galahad from Brain Dead 13 had also been in the nation for a couple of years, not knowing what happened to the CPU. Adalnan had been looking after all of them.

Gex began spending more time with Bleu, just like in the very early days, since like Adalnan, he viewed Bleu as a mother figure. Raziel and Nikki decided to do the same, since they had also been getting along with her. Rez had given in, just to stay in Deeyo. Isaac Clarke tried not to have an emotional breakdown when he saw Bleu again, promising to also stick around.

They were the few that decided not to go back to the Playstation All-Stars, but Bleu said they were allowed to go see their friends if they really wanted to. "So, you ended up losing your memories after being dropped in their world?" Gex asked, while Bleu finished typing up an article, and was now reading it over.

"Oui," she replied, "Birdie took me in for a long while, and I often got headaches when trying to remember things about myself. Eet turns out, zat me being dropped into ze world of those gamers, left remnants of ze New Game Plus all over ze place. Zat eez how zey fell into Gamindustri, non?"

"Pretty much, it was all crazy. But what's important, is that everything is back to normal, and you're back where you belong, as the CPU of Deeyo. Your oracle seems happier than ever, and so is everyone else."

That was when they heard someone kicking at the Basilicom's door. Lance jumped out of the way, freaking out when he saw a giant snowman suddenly walk in. A peculiar-looking one at that, as he appeared to be made out of clay.

"Man, why did that earthworm hide the fact from me for so long!? Could have saved me the trouble of waiting on a kickstarter reboot that was never gonna take off!" He complained, thankfully not melting as he dragged himself in. Just about everyone was startled by him barging in, even Bleu, who was normally calm. "Deeyo's CPU, you really did come back with your nation?"

"To be more precise, I was around, my nation wasn't… I brought back my nation, at ze cost of myself, zen I returned." She took a look at the large snowman, then chuckled to herself. "Bad Mr. Frosty? Ah, I remember, before I was defeated in Celestia… you were going to have your third game on my sixth generation console, non?"

"Yeah, then suddenly I find out adjustments gotta be made for Blanc's, clunky fifth gen console instead. Did not end well, and I didn't know it was because you were taken down until now. Only recently did Jim tell me you were back in town, so I can finally get away from the idiots at Interplay! I hear they're selling their IPs, which includes mine." Bad Mr. Frosty then plopped himself on the couch. "Don't mind me, I'm going to crash here, until further notice."

"I don't mind." Bleu replied with a gentle smile, happy to have the company.

Gex looked at Bad Mr. Frosty, who looked back at the gecko. "Hey, uh, lizard, you know that one purple dragon by chance?"

"You mean Spyro? Why do you ask?"

"Has he stopped terrorizing other snowmen?"

"Er, what now?"

"If he hasn't, I'm gonna clobber him, and no fire-breath is gonna stop me!"

Gex couldn't help but smirk at the thought, it was best if those two never got into a conflict though. Bleu was more than happy to be back home, with her oracle, Gex, Isaac Clarke, and other characters that were drawn to Deeyo.

She was happy to have her memories back. After all she had been through, it was worth it in the end.

 **EPILOGUE**

 **Players and their Games**

"How has Brave been?"

"He was fixed up pretty quickly. Thank god… I was really worried I would lose him for good, again!"

"That's a relief…!"

"Say, Nepgear," Uni said over the call, "how's everything been?"

"Things have been going great in Planeptune! Neptune is hard at work to make sure that the games she's putting out for the year are good enough for her audiences, Mr. Grimm and Histoire are giving her encouragement when she's too stressed, Angela has formed a weird habit though… She keeps taking Bahn's hat, and gets upset when she can't keep it!"

Uni laughed over the call. "That's weird!"

"Yeah, Grimm and Neptune asked if Bahn had a spare, he said no… so they decided to make one for Angela."

"What about Arle?"

"She's super excited to have a game come to the west! Mega Man congratulated her, and they decided to go out to celebrate after Blanc's Switch presentation!"

"And Sonic?"

"He's also pumped up for his two new games, people are really hyped up for Mania. Even Dr. Eggman, Tails, and Knuckles can't wait!"

In the background, Nepgear watched as Beat rolled by on his rollerblades down the hall, with NiGHTS and Billy Hatcher following him. "Say, how come you and Neptune are keeping Earthworm Jim at your place? Isn't Interplay selling him?" Uni asked.

"Yeah, he was sick of it all, and he's waiting with his old friends like Sonic and Ristar until some other company buys him. I heard that both Jim and Neptune directed that clay snowman— I forget his name— over to Deeyo. I didn't think Neptune would ever entrust Bleu with caring for someone… Times really have changed!"

"Meanwhile, Noire and Bleu sometimes still don't see eye-to-eye." Uni sighed, probably wishing that they were a bit more forgiving to each other. "I'm hoping they get over it eventually… Also, Brave has been acting mildly concerned over Judge— that was the name of the aggressive former CFW, right?"

"Um, yes…" Nepgear paused for a second, remembering something. "Oh, I think it's because it's something to do with Geya."

"Brave did say he was being a bad influence on a girl, are you saying it's her?"

"Geya once asked me about Judge when she came over. Mainly what fighting him was like… and if he was the one that imprisoned me with the other CPUs. Maybe she has… a crush on him? I'm not sure, but if that's the case—"

"Kinda surprising, the soft, geeky girl to, y'know… Anyway, enough on that!" Uni thought over if she had anything else to ask Nepgear, if just to just change the subject. Whatever weird things Geya was into, they didn't want to know. "What of the Eternal and Dark Champions?"

"They returned to their realm, and haven't said much since," Nepgear replied, "I suppose that's good though, they have to work on keeping the world's balance in place. If they suddenly showed up, I would be worried, and think something bad was going to happen!"

"Hey, Nepgear?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think… the gamers are up to right now?" Uni wondered, "Like, how they're reacting to the stuff that's pretty much affecting our world, along with theirs? Such as new releases, Cambridge being closed down, and whatever else?"

There was another pause, Nepgear tilted her head, placing a hand to her mouth as she thought it over.

"I… don't know," Nepgear murmured, "I wish I could see them again though."

—

"Who knew so much went on behind the scenes."

Nick was at Natalie's house, the two of them talking on the couch. After they finally convinced everyone of the cover story they came up with, life got pretty calm. Everyone was surprised to see them act much more cool-headed and respectful when discussing games, but they couldn't find out why because the gamers wouldn't tell.

Most surprising was that Michael seemed to let go entirely of his grudge against Microsoft. He was actually playing Rare Replay at Caela's house while Nick and Natalie were hanging.

"Yeah, not just one, but two worlds working on games. No wonder there's been lots of improvements and revolutions."

"It's certainly improved us, that's for sure."

Holding hands, they were about to start watching old Sonic cartoons when they noticed something out of the blue. Their joined hands were starting to spark some of the glow. Nick looked Natalie. "You know, it would be pretty nice to visit now and then, wouldn't it?"

Natalie smiled. "Yes, it would. But no doomsdays, please."

 **END**

 **(So… wow, this was my first collaboration story. I did not think I would visit this continuity again, but it's one of these things that are actually more fun to write with other people it turns out— like, maybe I messed up a few times in writing, but I would be lying if I said it was boring. No, it was fun, almost every moment of it.**

 **I'm really glad that Hewhoimagines came up with this idea, bringing in four gamers into Gamindustri, having Bleu come back, Pupuru's father being found, all that other cool stuff— because it opened up a can of worms that I did want to touch on.**

 **Not everything made it into this story of course, as evident by Chapter Thirty-three with Hoodlums, there were some characters that were cut, and ended up being replaced. Some of this was for the better, but who knows? In a possible sequel, they could come back. Maaaaybe. Because there's still stuff that isn't resolved.**

 **I'm probably definitely only going to write lengthy fan-fiction if they're collaborations, because then there's a higher chance we'll both catch stuff. I loved the way Hewhoimagines handled a lot of the fighting scenes— heck, he does them better than me— and also some of the character exchanges or reactions to stuff going on. It was all so much fun, and I would definitely like to do it again.**

 **If this is the closing point of my Gamindustri-related tales, then I guess that's it… if not, then see you all again soon! -** _ **Nkirby**_ **)**

 **(This was also the first collab story that I worked on. Admittedly, I was nervous at first, but it turned out really fun. I originally came across Nkirby's stories by chance, and have enjoyed them ever since. They inspired me both in my stories - with the including of Nikki and Scissorman - and also as a gamer, looking for and playing all the Playstation greats, young and old.**

 **I came up with the idea for this story was in a daydream in which I was the one zapped into Gamindustri, with similar powers. Then push came to shove, and I had an idea I wanted to share. And the next thing that happened, you just finished reading.**

 **This was a blast to write, and if it should continue, only time can tell. We can only imagine. -** _ **Hewhoimagines**_ **)**


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